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Scientists at Newcastle University in the U.K. have discovered that girls tend to optimize brain connections earlier than boys. The researchers conclude that this may explain why females generally mature faster in certain cognitive and emotional areas than males during childhood and adolescence.
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Read More »Scientists at Newcastle University in the U.K. have discovered that girls tend to optimize brain connections earlier than boys. The researchers conclude that this may explain why females generally mature faster in certain cognitive and emotional areas than males during childhood and adolescence. The new study was published on December 19, 2013, in Cerebral Cortex. Of course, anyone who has read Middlesex knows that gender identification can be on a spectrum. Making generalizations about differences in brain structure based on being a "boy" or a "girl" can be a slippery slope. That said, scientists are trying to solve the puzzle of why across larger data points there appear to be general differences between brain development among male and female cohorts. Whether you are male, female, or intersex, the brain undergoes a major restructuring during childhood. The connections in the brain that are not used regularly tend to shrink and evaporate due to lack of use—while the neural networks that are regularly engaged are nourished and survive. This is called “fire and wire” and it's the ultimate "use it or lose it" example of "neural Darwinism" and survival of the fittest among neural networks. Optimizing brain connectivity is designed to give each human the best tools for survival in their environment. Unfortunately, in the modern world, many of these highly fine-tuned connections are short-circuiting due to neurobiological disorientation. The human brain cannot evolve fast enough to keep pace with the future shock of being born in the 21st century. Many young people—especially boys—are vulnerable to the changes of growing up in a digital age. They become isolated and are thrown into a constant state of cortisol-fueled fight-or-flight. This wreaks havoc on a young and vulnerable brain that needs to be in a parasympathetic state of "tend-and-befriend" to feel safe. I am a big fan of Amy Poehler’s “Smart Girls at the Party," geared toward adolescent girls and young teens with the mission to "celebrate individuals who are changing the world by being themselves." I believe that young boys and girls from all walks of life and gender identities can benefit from this message. As the father of a 6-year-old, I appreciate the message of self-empowerment being sent to children. Environmental pressures like needing to perform well on standardized tests, a lack of physical activity, social disconnection, a constant stream of digital media, excessive screen time, potential ADHD medications, and poor nutrition conspire to make it difficult for the young brain to form optimal connections during adolescence. Again, it seems that young boys are especially vulnerable to short-circuiting without the physical outlets they have evolved to need over millennia. Children are not designed to sit in a chair all day cramming for an exam. It seems possible that some boys might really need to run wild, and be more physically active (as do many girls).
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