Boys Adrift provided evidence-based data on why boys today lack motivation and disengage from the world. The author of Boys Adrift, Dr. Leonard Sax is a Family Practice Physician in Washington, D.C. Through his practice, he cared for hundreds of families with girls who were smart and driven and had boys who were laid back and unmotivated. He found that this phenomenon is spread across all races and socioeconomic classes. He spent seven years researching the following three questions: (1) “Why does one man succeed, while another man from the same neighborhood- or even the same household- drifts along unconcerned?” (p.9); (2) “Where is he headed?;” and (3) “Is there anything you can do about it?” (p.10). Dr. Sax’s research found that the following five factors attribute to our society of underachieving, disengaged boys: (1) changes at school; (2) video games; (3) medications for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); (4) endocrine disruptors; and (5) the revenge of the forsaken gods. As part of my requirements for my PH 2998- Seminar in Child and Adolescent Health course at UT School of Public Health, San Antonio Regional Campus, with Dr. Steve Kelder, I will briefly summarize Dr. Sax’s main points, what I found interesting about this book, how the book relates to child and adolescent health, and advice for parents and child health advocates.
Dr. Sax links how current school curriculums and structure have discouraged boys and promote apathy towards school and learning at a very young age. Kindergarten curriculum was once centered on activities like “finger painting and duck-duck-goose,” but now focuses on purely academic instruction such as reading and writing. He added that the problem with this change is that most five-year-old boys are not ready to sit down all day. He reported that the language areas in a boy’s brain at age five are similar to a three and a half year-old girl. This difference in language often results in classrooms being divided into those who are ready to learn and those who are not (the “dumb” group). Dr. Sax wrote that boys being placed in the “dumb” group can develop a lifelong disenchantment with formal education. Dr. Sax recommends delaying school until age six. Another recommendation Dr. Sax provided was incorporating competition into the school environment. He stated that boys enjoy competing against each other and it is a good way to motivate them to do better in school.
Dr. Sax examined the potential relationship between video games and boys disengaging from school. He stated that the average boy spends more than 13 hours each week playing video games. Video games provide these boys an outlet to gain power and control over the games they play. Dr. Sax challenged others ideas that video games make you smarter, concluding that video games do not prepare our boys for the real world and that American boys’ IQs have been on a steady decrease over the past 30 years.
Dr. Sax attributed ADHD stimulant drug use to loss of drive and apathy in adulthood. He stated that ADHD has been around for hundreds of years but over the past 20 years, ADHD prescription medications have increased dramatically. He attributed this rise in prescriptions to two main factors. The first factor is that our culture has shifted from “individual responsibility toward third-party explanations” (p. 85). He added that 30 years ago a disobedient child would be a “brat” in need of a good spanking. In today’s society, the boy may be diagnosed with a “conduct disorder” causing a shift in blame from the boy (or result of parenting) to the disorder. The second factor is the change to the elementary curriculum. If young boys aren’t ready to sit still in a chair for six hours each day, educators and parents often turn to medications. Dr. Sax wrote that ADHD medications have been shown to damage the nucleus accumbens which is the part of the brain that translate motivation into action.
Dr. Sax hypothesized that endocrine disruptors, specifically bisphenol A (BPA) or phthalates, have led to an increase in ADHD, obesity, and easily broken bones among boys. He stated that if boys are introduced to these chemicals early in life it can blunt or eliminate sex differences in behavior, as well as cause problems with memory and motivation. In Dr. Sax’s final factor “the revenge of the forsaken gods,” he identified in leading to a generation of unmotivated, disengaged boys and men. Boys need strong male remodels to emulate and look-up to. Dr. Sax stressing that gender does matter because “boys and girls differ with respect to risk factors for social pathology” (p. 178).
Dr. Sax’s offers excellent advice to parents, teachers and educators in the final of chapter of the book “Detox.” One of my favorite recommendations is that we should restore kindergarten as kindergarten. Also, children need to learn about things like “frogs and tadpoles” from actually playing with them, not just looking at them on a computer monitor. To address the video game problem, Dr. Sax recommended getting boys out doing the real thing; don’t play basketball on a screen play it outside. He also urged concerned parents to have their children formally assessed for ADHD by a non-biased qualified health professional and then decide if medications are necessary. Dr. Sax instructed parents to stay informed on endocrine disruptors. To address the revenge of the forsaken gods factor, Dr. Sax stated that boys need healthy male role-models, often do best in single gender schools, and bonds need to be restored between generations.
As a mother of a three-year-old boy, this book was eye-opening, causing me to change my way of thinking and my approach to raising my son. Prior to reading Boys Adrift, I was concerned that my son will miss the cut-off for kindergarten by two months. Now, I am excited because he will be almost six when he starts kindergarten and it will probably be the best thing for him. Also, I had never considered single gender education for my children but Dr. Sax presented a lot of good information on the benefits of a single gender curriculum, especially for boys. One example is that boys don’t have to “wear a mask” and can be themselves without having to worry about impressing girls. The boys in these schools are provided education in a boy-friendly environment, encouraging brotherhoods, and friendly competition leading to more motivated, successful boys. Also, my husband has ADHD and this book has made me more aware of the potential dangers of starting young children/boys on ADHD medications and the importance of a formal evaluation. If my son begins to exhibit ADHD behaviors, I will be more reserved in considering medications. I am not completely sold on the endocrine disruptors factor, however, I would like to conduct further research in this area. I am actually more concerned about some of the potential negative effects on girls based on Dr. Sax’s presented literature.
This book was directly related to child and adolescent health, specifically in boys for all of the reasons I have already discussed. Dr. Sax provided easy to read recommendations for teachers, parents, and child health advocates. I recommend that any parents with boys, teachers, and health care providers dealing with pediatrics and adolescents read this book and take some of Dr. Sax’s insights into consideration. I am very pleased with this book and will read it again.
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From the Publisher
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| Explore the Works of Leonard Sax | In this New York Times bestseller, one of America’s premier physicians offers a must-read account of the new challenges facing parents today and a program for how we can better prepare our children to navigate the obstacles they face. | A parenting expert reveals the four biggest threats to girls’ psychological growth and explains how parents can help their daughters develop a healthy sense of self. |
About the author
Useless book
Basically a pop psychology articleyou might see someplace on the internet stretched into a book. Padded with pages and pages of reader's emails to the Doctor. No insights, just lots of padding.
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- Mum of 3 boysReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 30, 2016
Invaluable - A Wake Up Call
