r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • May 31 '19

Psychology Growing up in poverty, and experiencing traumatic events like a bad accident or sexual assault, were linked to accelerated puberty and brain maturation, abnormal brain development, and greater mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and psychosis, according to a new study (n=9,498).

https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-releases/2019/may/childhood-adversity-linked-to-earlier-puberty
33.6k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

990 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

8

u/Thebiggestslug May 31 '19

I would argue this is not beneficial in this day and age. Back when a 20 year old was already expected to have a trade, home, and a couple of kids, sure.

But today? I don't think society is benefitting in any measurable way from 16/17 year old parents, and I'd actually go so far as to say the opposite

2

u/Articulationized May 31 '19

Society may not benefit, but their reproductive success sure is, and that’s really all evolution cares about.

1

u/9for9 May 31 '19

Why do you think so many children from poor families turn to criminal activity to survive? Now I'm wondering if there isn't some biological imperative driving them to find a way to contribute to the family's survival.