[Lifestyle] Gen Z thinks their brain develops fully at 25. Is that true? We investigate

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If you’re an Instagram connoisseur––like this writer who scrolls through Reels and memes for hours as if it’s a full-time job––you’ve probably seen posts proclaiming, “Your brain isn’t fully developed until 25!” Gen Z has embraced this idea as both an excuse (“Sorry, Maa, I impulse-bought another gaming chair—my prefrontal cortex isn’t done cooking,”) and a social milestone (“Why do all my old crushes suddenly look like tax-fraud suspects?”) Even pop culture has latched on—one viral joke links Leonardo DiCaprio’s infamous 25-year-old girlfriend age limit to brain development: “Leo only dates people whose prefrontal cortex hasn’t fully matured yet!” But is there any truth to this? Does the brain really hit some sudden “fully developed” status at 25? Let’s break it down.Dr Manish Chhabria, senior consultant, neurology at Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital, Mumbai, explained that brain development happens in stages. “While 90 per cent of a child’s brain growth occurs before age five, the prefrontal cortex—the part responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and long-term planning—keeps maturing into our mid-20s.” Here’s the twist: brain development doesn’t stop at 25. Some parts of the brain continue evolving well into your 30s—and even beyond. Dr Leah Somerville, a neuroscientist at Harvard, likens it to a dimmer switch, not an on-off button. Brain refinement is a gradual, lifelong process, not a sudden transformation at a specific age. MRI studies have even found structural changes occurring past 30—so if you were hoping to wake up at 25 feeling like a fully-formed adult, bad news: you’re still a work in progress.🧠 Beyond 25: The brain keeps adapting. Myelination (which speeds up brain signals) continues into your 30s, meaning decision-making and emotional regulation can still improve. Plus, neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to learn and rewire itself—lasts a lifetime.

https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/life-style/gen-z-thinks-brain-fully-develops-at-25-myth-fact-we-investigate-9833172/