With the growing global focus on mental and cognitive health, memory loss in adolescents emerges as a crucial issue that deserves awareness. This age stage forms a bridge between childhood and adulthood, during which the brain undergoes complex growth and development processes, making it susceptible to various disorders, most notably forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating.

According to the health website vinmec, forgetfulness during adolescence may be linked to natural factors such as hormonal growth or to health and psychological conditions that require medical intervention. Therefore, distinguishing between “normal” forgetfulness and “concerning” forgetfulness is a key step to ensuring adolescent health.

Forgetfulness in teenagers can be natural, resulting from brain and hormonal changes, but in other cases, it signals the need for intervention. Parents’ awareness of these differences represents the first line of defense to protect their children’s mental and cognitive future.

Lack of sleep is one of the main causes of distraction and loss of retention ability. The brain needs sleep hours to organize the information the adolescent learned during the day. When sleep hours fall below the recommended limit, this vital process is disrupted, making the child more forgetful and academically declining.

Excessive use of smartphones and electronic games reduces the brain’s ability to concentrate. When adolescents are exposed to a large amount of fast information, the brain loses its flexibility in storing long-term information. This explains the increase in complaints of “forgetting homework” or “missing appointments” among the current generation.

Some medical conditions may underlie memory loss, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, or thyroid problems. Vitamin deficiencies, especially vitamin B12, negatively affect brain functions. In some cases, the cause is taking certain medications like sedatives or anti-anxiety drugs.

Adolescents face significant pressure from family, school, and society. This pressure generates chronic anxiety that may affect brain areas responsible for retention and recall. Studies have shown that continuous stress alters the growth of the hippocampus, an important memory center, making adolescents more prone to forgetfulness.

There are practical ways to improve memory in adolescents that parents can apply:

• Encouraging mental activities such as reading and educational games.
• Incorporating sports, yoga, and meditation into the daily routine.
• Ensuring balanced nutrition.
• Monitoring any worrying symptoms that require medical consultation.
• Creating a supportive family environment that reduces anxiety.