About teenbrain.org
teenbrain.org is a free, open project created for general use. It brings clear scientific information and awareness to three things:
- how a teenager's brain works, and why it is still developing;
- how ADHD can affect a young brain;
- the effects of the wave of young people turning to vaping, which the U.S. Surgeon General called an epidemic in 2018.
Free for anyone to use
The site and its source are released under the MIT License. Teachers, parents, coaches, youth workers and students may use, copy, adapt and share it, in a classroom or anywhere else, free of charge. Download the source.
How it was made
teenbrain.org uses AI to research and write its explanations. Its facts then go through a fixed, repeatable checking process rather than being taken on trust.
- Every claim is checked against its source. A separate AI review opens each source and applies the same rules every time: a number must match its source and say who was studied, "linked with" never becomes "causes", and animal or lab studies are labelled as such.
- Automated checks keep watch. A script confirms that every source link still opens and flags any source whose text has changed, so the claims built on it are checked again.
- Each page shows when its evidence was last checked. Where the evidence is uncertain, the site says so.
About the logo
The logo is a brain that is finished at the back and still being wired at the front. That's because the front of the brain, which helps with planning and self-control, is among the last parts to mature.
Not medical advice
teenbrain.org is general education. It can't diagnose anything or tell you what's right for you. If you're worried about vaping, ADHD or your health, talk to a doctor, nurse, school counsellor or another adult you trust.
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