Dr. Leonard Sax is both a family physician and a psychologist with a Phd. He is a founder of the National Association for Single Sex Public Education. His book, Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men, studies the phenomenon of unmotivated boys and teenagers in today's society. Dr. Sax puts forth his 5 reasons for why this is occurring.
Video Games
As more and more children spend time playing video games, they spend less time outside playing, or using their imagination. Video games also provide an alternate world that many boys retreat to when the real world brings trouble. Boys should be restricted in the type of video games they play, as well as the amount of time spent playing.
Public Education
Sax argues that the US public education system is pushing boys to learn and behave long before they are ready. Most boys would rather run around and play energetically, while early elementary schools require child to sit quietly and learn. Sax shows many examples where a "problem child" is transferred to a single-sex school and then excels.
Over-medication for Behavioral Problems
Dr. Sax believes that boys in particular are being over-prescribed medications for disorders such as Attention Deficit Disorder. Teachers and parents often take this easy way out instead of trying to discover why a boy might be having trouble concentrating in class. Medications can have long-term consequences that aren't completely understood.
Lack of Male Role Models
A century ago, it was more common for grandparents, aunts and uncles, and other extended family members to live in the same house with parents and children. Now, it is normal for families to get together only once or twice a year. Sax argues that this doesn't allow young boys to grow up with many strong male role models. A boy without an active father might not have any role models. Instead, boys look to their friends, celebrities, and television characters as role models.
Toxins in Plastics
Nobody can deny that plastics are prevalent in today's society. From packaging to toys to dishes, children are constantly exposed to plastics and the chemicals they contain. In Boys Adrift, Dr. Sax shows how these chemicals change change boys' brains.
Dr. Sax provides some interesting theories for parents of boys to consider. If they have this knowledge, hopefully they can take action to reduce these 5 reasons and raise happy, healthy sons. While parents can't change the educational system, or change the way plastics are made, they can change the way their sons approach these issues. Leonard Sax has also published the book Why Gender Matters, which explores the physiological differences between males and females.
Boys Adrift was published by Basic Books on January 5, 2009. Its ISBN-10 is 0465072100 and its ISBN-13 is 978-0465072101.
Allison Russo - Allison Russo holds a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Most recently she ...
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