The importance of socialization for brain development

The importance of socialization for brain development
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People are social beings who need contact with others to survive. Therefore, people cannot develop if they are isolated. In fact, one can say that socialization is necessary for brain development.



It is very important to establish friendships, as it is both positive for our mental health and keeps the brain active. Therefore, we can say that social people promote their brain health. By socializing, they protect the brain from cognitive impairment and dementia.

Recent biological anthropology studies show the importance of socialization for evolutionary brain development. Without social relations we would never have become what we are today.

Unfortunately, many cases have shown what happens when someone spends their first years in life isolated, such as the so-called "wild children".

In this article, we will discuss the importance of socialization for brain development and the negative effects of lack of it.

Friends together
Socialization and human origin
People have very complex brains. Our brains let us develop a communication system through the language. Furthermore, our brains enable us to make complex decisions, create objects with our hands and even dominate other species and the surroundings.

According to Daniel White - specialist in brain evolution - socialization is what made this great development possible. He claims that life in society encourages the evolution of the brain.

The different environments and social conditions were the stimuli that helped the brain develop higher processes. This resulted in a brain with a higher ability to memorize things, and even let people use language.

We can appreciate how important socialization has been for our brain development if we compare the human brain with other primates. The brain of a chimpanzee grows during pregnancy and is almost completely developed when born. Two years after birth, a chimpanzee's brain reaches its full size.

In humans, the brain develops during pregnancy and beyond the first two years of life. Therefore, our brain reaches its full size at the age of seven. At that point, we are ready for our first social interactions. But even though it does not continue to grow, the human brain is reshaped until we are 25. Socialization plays an important role in brain development during this period.

The effects of lack of socialization during childhood
Lack of socialization affects brain development in different ways. It is so harmful that it affects and delays brain development in general, especially during the first years of life. So the absence of social relationships that expose people to high-quality interactions not only affects mood and behavior, but also cognitive health and motor skills.

Lack of socialization has even greater negative effects during childhood. During the first ten years of life, people assimilate and perfect many higher psychological processes, such as languages. To better understand these effects, we should talk about two specific cases.

Genie was a child imprisoned by her parents until she was 13 years old. She received no type of emotional stimulation or socialization. This prevented her from getting language skills, so she just made some sounds in response to external stimuli. In spite of the fact that she was 13 years old, she never managed to speak any complex language fluently after specialists began studying and treating her.

Another similar case is with the wild child L’Aveyron in the 19th century. He was a 12-year-old child found in the Aveyron area of ​​France, where he climbed trees and ran around naked. Just like Genie, he didn't speak and even went like a chimpanzee. His parents had abandoned him (or died when he was little), so he never socialized with anyone.

These two specific examples are what can happen to a person who does not socialize.

Isolated child
Socialization for brain development
Socialization challenges the brain and keeps it active. It is vital, especially in the later stages of life, and can prevent mental deterioration caused by low brain activity. To get these benefits, we must try to be as social as possible. We should interact with others through conversations, although writing is also an option.

Those who tend to stick to themselves can try the following things to socialize more:

Plan more meetings with friends and family: even long and periodic phone calls can have the same effect.
Join a club or organization to do activities you like and make new friends: you will keep your body and hands busy, and the brain will remain active thanks to socialization.
Avoid social isolation: go out, talk and exchange ideas with people.
Get friends who are older and younger than yourself: Older people can benefit from it