The Importance Of Socialization For Brain Development

Humans are social beings and must be in contact with others in order to survive. Thus, humans cannot evolve if they are isolated. In fact, you can say that interacting with other people is the best way to make sure that the brain develops fully.

It is very important to establish friendships because this is both positive for our mental health and will help keep the brain as active as possible. Thus, we can say that social people favor brain health. By socializing, they protect the brain from cognitive impairment and dementia.

Recent biological anthropology studies show the importance of socialization in the evolutionary part of brain development. Without social relationships, we would never be what we are today.

Unfortunately, many cases have shown what happens when someone spends the first years of their life in isolation, for example in the case of so-called feral children or “wild children”.

In this article, we discuss how socialization can appropriately affect brain development and the negative effects of lack of it.

Socialization and the origin of humanity

Man has very complex brains. Our brain allows us to develop a communication system through language. In addition, it allows us to make complicated decisions, create objects with our own hands, and even dominate other species and the environment around us.

According to Daniel White, a specialist in the development of the brain, socialization is what allowed this great development to take place. He claims that life in society encouraged the development of our brain.

The various environmental and social conditions were stimuli that helped the brain to develop superior processes. This resulted in a brain with a greater ability to remember things. This also allowed people to use language.

We can appreciate how important socialization is for brain development if we compare the human brain with other primates. The brain of a chimpanzee grows during pregnancy, and the brain is almost fully developed when they are born. Two years after birth, the chimpanzee’s brain reaches the size of an adult chimpanzee’s brain.

In humans, the brain develops during pregnancy and beyond the first two years of life. Therefore, our brain reaches the size of an adult brain when we are 7 years old. At this time we are ready for our first simple social interactions.

But even though it does not continue to grow, the human brain changes until we are 25 years old. Socialization plays a very important role in brain development during this period.

The effect of lack of socialization in childhood has on the brain

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

Lack of socialization has even stronger negative effects in childhood. In the first 10 years of life, humans take over and perfect many overarching psychological processes, such as language. To better understand these effects, we will talk about two specific cases.

Genie was a child who was imprisoned by her parents until she was 13 years old. She had no type of emotional stimulation or socialization opportunities. This prevented the child from acquiring language skills, so she only made certain sounds in response to external stimuli. Despite being 13 years old when specialists began to study and treat her, she was never able to speak fluent language.

Another similar case is that of the feral child L’Aveyron in the 19th century. He was a 12-year-old child who was found in the Aveyron ward in France, where he climbed trees and ran around naked. Like Genie, he did not speak, and he even walked like a chimpanzee. His parents had left him (or they died when he was little), so he never socialized with anyone.

These two cases are concrete examples of what can happen to a human being if they do not socialize.

Socialization for brain development

Socialization challenges the brain and keeps it active. It is important, especially in the more advanced stages of life, and can prevent mental breakdown caused by low brain activity.

To reap these benefits, we must try to be as social as possible. We should interact with others through conversations, although writing is also a good option.

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

• Schedule multiple meetings with friends and family: Even long and periodic phone calls can have the same effects.
• Join a club or organization and do activities that you enjoy and make new friends: You will keep your body and hands busy and your brain will stay active as you socialize.
• Avoid social isolation: Go out, talk and exchange ideas with people.
• Make friends who are older or younger than you: Older people can benefit from the mental and physical speed of youth. The latter can also learn new things from older people.
• Even being in a romantic relationship stimulates the brain in many ways, as long as the relationship is not toxic.

• Seek professional help if you are starting to isolate yourself more: There are guides and social organizations ready to help you. Consulting a psychologist can also be a good option.