Isolated Childhood: apart from the world, enormous consequences to bear.

Humans are social creatures, carrying out most of their life activities with interdependence. From an evolutionary perspective, we come to know that this interdependence is for various reasons, the primary being survival, then other reasons like pleasure and improving quality of life. Isolation, in general, is the experience of being separated from others but when individuals lack social contact, support and relationships, this experience is termed as social isolation. When children-especially through their early and middle childhood- experience social isolation, it puts them at risk of unhealthy brain development as well as certain disorders. This hindrance in their bio-psycho-social development may also manifest in their adulthood, resulting in a dysfunctional lifestyle. 

The impact on physiology: 

Social isolation has a major impact on the prefrontal cortex, an area in our brain equipped to perform cognitive tasks: perception, social interactions, reasoning and decision-making among many others. Research has proved that improper development of the prefrontal cortex in childhood can result in permanent developmental deficits. An experiment was conducted to investigate the same wherein a monkey and mice were socially isolated; the communication channel in the prefrontal cortex neurons was impaired as a result of the experiment. Our prefrontal cortex usually completes its developmental course at around 25 years of age and is responsible for the majority of the decisions we make. Hence it is important for children to have healthy exposure to socialization for optimal development and acquisition of skills. 

Another important factor here is the response to stress that takes place physiologically in our bodies. This happens in order to protect it from dangerous situations perceived in the environment. As we read, social interactions are primary to human needs, and in their absence, they become a perceived threat and activate our autonomic nervous system- responsible for fight and flight responses. While this system is built to protect, prolonged social deprivation indicates that the body will remain in a constant state of vigilance, secreting certain hormones in excess, which later show negative consequences. These consequences include the risk of developing cardiovascular problems, hypertension, cognitive overload and dysfunction. It also has an impact on the mortality of an individual in the long term. For children, we do not see the immediate effects of such stress but they become evident in the long run. 

The Impact on Learning and Cognition: 

A cognitive component of social isolation is loneliness- the perception of social isolation which involves feelings of detachment, lack of social support, and absence of meaningful relationships. To understand the impact of social isolation on children, we can look at Lev Vygotsky’s theory of child development. His theory emphasised cognitive development taking place in a sociocultural context,  which meant that it is essential for a child’s development process to be mediated by social interactions. Most importantly, children learn a language via social interaction hence its deprivation takes away efficient language acquisition from children. His theory also talks about the importance of having a ‘more knowledgeable other’ (MKO)  in life who has a greater or better understanding of the tasks a child is performing which better facilitates the learning. Practices like scaffolding, that is, learning that takes place when paired up with an instructor or MKO. Scaffolding also enhances motivation and reduces frustration. His concept of the Zone of Proximal Development, explains a child's potential for cognitive development and ability when they are guided through a task, rather than asked to do it in isolation. The zone of proximal development is the area between what one can do on their own and what is beyond their reach via the means of scaffolding or technological advancements.

Another theory that emphasised social interactions being necessary for the development of children was Bronfrenbrenner’s ecological theory. According to this view, there are five systems in a child’s social environment that influence the development of interaction with one another. His five systems- Microsystem, Mesosystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem and Chronosystem interplay together creating an ecological framework for development and learning. We can try to visualise these systems as concentric circles, wherein the innermost is the microsystem and the outermost circle is the macrosystem while the chronosystem is the parallel influence of time. Microsystem represents

the immediate environments that directly impact an individual's life. It includes family, friends, school, and other immediate social and physical surroundings. These are the settings where individuals have direct interactions and experiences. Mesosystem, the interactions and connections between the various components of the microsystem. For example, how family experiences at home may influence a child's behaviour and experiences at school. The exosystem indirectly influences an individual's development. These are environments in which individuals may not be directly involved but which still affect them. An example could be workplace-related stress that affects the child at home. The macrosystem represents the culture, norms, legal frameworks and social policies we live in. Lastly, the chronosystem encompasses time-related influences, like life transitions or personal life-changing events. 

The two theories help us understand that human beings are not isolated entities and that the lack of social interaction results in major developmental delays, learning difficulties as well and a risk of developing psychological disorders. 

Social isolation and consequences: 

Research shows strong associations between social isolation and anxiety and depression in children and adolescents. Apart from this, social isolation also indicates an increase in cortisol- which results in cognitive impairment. It was found that children who experience social isolation often show two kinds of behaviours— the first one being quiet, passive, whose isolation from the peer group reflects social anxiety and negative self-perceptions of social competence; the second, a rambunctious, immature, solitary player whose isolation reflects impulsivity and aggressiveness.

Another consequence of social isolation is that it facilitates environments where bullying and harassment are taking place, the bystander effect that is associated with it also adds to the social isolation impact. A devastating outcome of social isolation is the increasing suicide rate, the lack of social support and its link to depression and other disorders have been contributing factors to suicide in youth. Social isolation also puts children and adolescents at risk for criminal activities. Socially isolated children and adolescents are more vulnerable to negative peer influence and in search of some social connections engage in delinquent behaviours. The economic hardships faced by them also increase the chances of juvenile delinquency. Impaired decision-making and isolation from social interactions put children at risk of developing impulse-control disorders like kleptomania, pyromania, and conduct disorder, which have the ability to develop into criminal behaviours.

It is safe to say that perceived community support and interventions can prove to be a boon in such cases. Social isolation can make an individual go through emotional rollercoasters of anger, loneliness, hatred, self-pity, helplessness and learned helplessness; however, the impact seems to be the heaviest on children as most of their learning depends on psychosocial interactions, and when this is taken away from them, the effects shall be devastating. Hence, for optimal development of children, it is important to create safe and healthy spaces that empower learning and growth positively.

References: 

Rubin, K. H., & Mills, R. S. (1988). The many faces of social isolation in childhood. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56(6), 916–924. doi:10.1037/0022-006x.56.6.916 

10.1037/0022-006x.56.6.91

Hazler, R. J., & Denham, S. A. (2002). Social Isolation of Youth at Risk: Conceptualizations and Practical Implications. Journal of Counseling & Development, 80(4), 403–409. doi:10.1002/j.1556-6678.2002.tb00206.x 

10.1002/j.1556-6678.2002.tb00206.x

Cacioppo, S., Capitanio, J. P., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2014). Toward a neurology of loneliness. Psychological Bulletin, 140(6), 1464–1504. doi:10.1037/a0037618 

10.1037/a0037618

Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2010). Loneliness matters: a theoretical and empirical review of consequences and mechanisms. Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 40(2), 218–227. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-010-9210-8d

Daneshfar, S., & Moharami, M. (2018). Dynamic Assessment in Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory: Origins and main concepts. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 9(3), 600. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0903.20

Browse educational resources | education.com. (n.d.). Education.com. http://www.education.com/reference/article/sociocultural-theory/

Swick, K., Williams, R. An Analysis of Bronfenbrenner’s Bio-Ecological Perspective for Early Childhood Educators: Implications for Working with Families Experiencing Stress. Early Childhood Educ J 33, 371–378 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-006-0078-y

About the Author:

Anaika Desai,

Member, PsyCreative Column,

Psychology committee, SDSOS, NMIMS.

Anaika is currently 19 years old and studying applied psychology. She believes a little kindness does the right magic. She is very inquisitive, picks up new hobbies occasionally, loves petting cats, and puts all her love in a batter and bakes it into beautiful cakes. She organises her thoughts on a piece of paper and calls it spending quality time with herself. She hopes one day the world will win through love and kindness, till then she will keep doing her part. She has a warrior spirit and will rise above the hurdles life puts her through, at her own pace though. She aspires to see herself as a psychologist one day and for that, she works on herself every day a little bit.