Teen Personality Dip as Policy Signal

Longitudinal, facet‑level data show a consistent adolescent ‘‘dip’’: declines in conscientiousness and agreeableness and a rise in neuroticism (notably larger for girls) between ages ~10–16. Rather than treating adolescent behavior as noise, policymakers should treat this predictable developmental window as an evidence‑based signal to time interventions (school pedagogy, mental‑health screening, and platform age‑policy). — Designing education, mental‑health services, and youth‑tech rules around a robust, age‑specific personality trajectory would make policies more targeted and effective and avoid one‑size‑fits‑all solutions.