How come learning things as a kid is/feels easier than learning them as an adult?

Question

Think sports, language, riding a bike, learning an instrument etc.

In: 4

Answer 1

In your brain you have lots of cells called neurons. These receive inputs (sensory inputs like sight, sound, smell, touch would be an example) and depending on how they’re structured they might send an output. They can also make connections to other neurons to form clusters of neurons, allowing for more nuanced outputs.

Developing brains are more neuroplastic, meaning they it is easier for the brain to reorganize itself by creating new neural links, or strengthening/weakening old ones. It’s a myth that neuroplasticity stops after 25 when your brain is done developing, but it does slow down so learning new skills will probably be harder.

However, many things can be easier to learn as an adult because you have more per-requisite knowledge and a framework for how the world functions.