Читать книгу Overcoming Internet Addiction For Dummies - David N. Greenfield - Страница 58

During puberty, the period during which adolescents reach sexual maturity, the proliferation of sex hormones, particularly estrogen and testosterone, accelerates. In males especially, the increase in testosterone increases desire and the potential for taking risks and engaging in pleasurable and stimulating behaviors, all of which correlate with the development of the dopamine pleasure/reward circuits described earlier in this chapter.

Several factors are now at work ramping up the desire and capacity for feeling pleasure, while the body’s buffering mechanisms are still in development. The convergence of accelerated development of the brain’s pleasure centers (increased dopamine), underdeveloped frontal lobes, and immature gabaminergic functions, along with increased sex hormones, creates a perfect storm for abuse and addiction in adolescents and teens, which extends through the young adult years.