Here is something for parents and their children (that’s all of us) to consider. Being held and touched in a loving and affectionate manner helps us develop healthy genetics, and increases our life potential. Although the research is nascent and early stage, scientists are beginning to show that “The amount of physical contact between infants and their caregivers can affect children at the molecular level. ”
From the article.
“The study showed that children who had been more distressed as infants and had received less physical contact had a molecular profile in their cells that was underdeveloped for their age — pointing to the possibility that they were lagging biologically.”
and
“In children, we think slower epigenetic aging might indicate an inability to thrive,” said Michael Kobor, a Professor in the UBC Department of Medical Genetics who leads the “Healthy Starts” theme at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute.
Lack of touch isn’t the worst thing that happens to children in childhood. I think back on my own through the lens of what I know today and I’m horrified by what my parents and teachers did to me (physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, abandonment, public shaming). And my childhood wasn’t particularly bad compared to some others I’ve met.
In another article on Toxic Socialization I suggest that we might all be victims of toxic socialization. to one extent or another. If that’s the case, and if something as gentle as touch can impact genetics, might it be reasonable to suggest that the entire human race is suffering from genetic damage and undeveloped human potential arising as a consequence of Toxic Socialization? If that is reasonable to suggest, and if it is (as I think very likely) true, we got a major global problem on our hands here.
Refs
https://www.academia.edu/25275338/Toxic_Socialization
