Ep. 72: Know-It-All Teens

<p><a href="https://talkingtoteens.com/know-it-all-teens-and-vaping/">Click for full show notes, exercises, and parenting scripts from this episode</a></p><p><br>Does your teen act like they know everything? When teens think they know everything, their actions can be doubly dangerous: they are already operating without a full-functioning pre-frontal cortex. Know-it-all teens are overconfident in their knowledge about the world, and as a result, they disregard advice from parents, teachers, and other adults who really <em>do</em> know better. Arrogant teens may be even more likely to jump into action without weighing the possible consequences. </p><p>Having a know-it-all teen can be hurtful, even scary, for parents as they find themselves stonewalled when attempting to impart advice and basic information. If there was only a way to show them how little they truly know about things like vaping, alcohol, sex, and how the world actually works!!</p><p>Dr. Steve Sloman, co-author of <a href="https://amzn.to/38CBVYc"><em>The Knowledge Illusion: Why We Never Think Alone</em></a> and professor at Brown Universit, took time off from his sabbatical semester to speak with me about the knowledge illusion teens (and most adults!) live under.  I was fascinated to learn about the study that is making people more humble and decreasing their polarization on a wide range of topics. </p><p><br>Dr. Sloman’s book isn’t directly about parenting, however, his research and its implications offer novel understandings of how people—teens included—think and how parents can approach their teenagers to talk about issues that their teens may be overconfident in.</p><p><br>Perhaps surprising, the human mind is hardwired for specialization—nobody can know everything! We might feel we know how everyday objects and the world around us works, but we call plumbers for our sinks, chat with IT departments for our computers, and listen to economic strategists for updates on the NYSE. This shared expertise creates a community of knowledge, givi