Social Isolation
What happens when we do not have interactions with otheres?
It would be terribly unethicla in today's society to leave children or adults completely alone just to see what happens, so we must depend on a few historical records of rare isolation cases.
First, let's explore instances of feral children.
Feral children are wild or untamed children who grow up without typical adult socialization influences.
Cases of feral children are rare because, as was mentioned earlier, most human newborns will not typically survive if they are not cared for by an older individual. There are historical records that indicate that children have been spotted in the wild with "animal-like" characteristics. however, there is no actual proof that these children ever existed.
Fables of feral children were the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Most scientists seem to agree that humans can't co-exist with wolves and other carnivorous animals as depicted in Kipling's legendary story. Yet, cross-species nurturing has been documented from time to time (e.g., dogs nurturing kittens and pigs). However, there is no indication that this has ever happened with animals nurturing humans.
There are some documented instances where children have been socially isolated. Social isolation is particularly problematic when it is experienced in the early stages of socialization.
Two of the earliest documented studies of socially isolated children were investigated by Kingsley Davis in 1940.
Anna was discovered when she was 5. She had lived for years in an attic by herself and was kept barely alive. Anna only learned a few basic life skills before she died at age 10.
Isabelle was also isolated, but in her case, she had the company of her deaf and mute mother. When Isabelle was discovered at age six she quickly learned the basic human social skills needed and was able to eventually attend school.
Davis attributes the difference in Isabelle's more successful socialization to the fact that Isabelle had at least some social interaction with her mother.
Unfortunately, even though Isabelle fared better than Anna, she still was developmentally challenged into adulthood.
Another example of social isolation was discovered in a Los Angeles suburb in 1970.
A neighbor reported that a child was locked in the back of a house, and police discovered a girl that was eventually nicknamed "Genie." Genie was about 12 when she was found. Genie's hair was cut short to keep her from eating it. Even though she was chained to a potty chair her entire life, she needed to wear diapers. She spat, chewed, rubbed, and self-groomed more like an animal than a human. She had to be taught the basics of everything and although she did learn, it was nowhere near the capacity of an average child.
A common question in considering these cases of social isolation is: were these children mentally handicapped?
Unfortunately, we'll likely never know for sure because it is too unethical to recreate social isolation just to see what happens.
However, many scientists speculate that they were not mentally impaired at all. They were most likely unable to develop like an average child because a child's ability to learn narrows as they age, and the years 0 and 2 are absolutely crucial in the development process. Since Anna was not reached until 5, Isabelle 6, and Genie 12, they had aged to the point that the potential for learning had been greatly decreased.
Another example that adds evidence to this theory is that children whose parents do not interact with them as much in the early stages of development show signs of learning disabilities later in life; of course none as severe as Anna, Isabelle, and Genie.
These cases of social isolation are very real examples of why humans need social interaction.
