Ages 0-13: Genes, Synaptic Pruning, and Neuroplasticity
By understanding and analyzing the science of our brains, genes, and physical environment, we can unlock pathways to purpose and fulfillment in our lives.
The first week of 2025, I found myself reflecting on a profound question: How can we live a fulfilling life in the context of time?
This curiosity stemmed from my own journey. At the age of twenty-four, I stood at a crossroads of success, abundance, and self-awareness. Fast forward two years, and now I find myself confidently navigating life’s uncertainty by applying My Quarter-Life Playbook to the challenges of today.
In the coming weeks, I’ll explore the essence of gleaning daily fulfillment through the lens of the biological human clock. But first, let’s start with the beginning—our genesis, the embryo & the brain.
The Genesis of the Brain
By the time we’re born, most of the brain’s 1 billion neurons have already been created during embryonic development (Ackerman, 1992). However, the journey of the brain doesn’t stop at birth. The process of neurogenesis—the formation of new neurons—continues throughout our lives, with respect to the brain’s ability to adapt and reorganize itself, a phenomenon known as neuroplasticity.
This capability can be a powerful stepping stone toward self-empowerment, or we can find ourselves hindered by synaptic pruning, which is the brain’s natural process of eliminating unnecessary or weak neural connections.
What Is Synaptogenesis?
Synaptogenesis is the formation of synapses between neurons during early brain development.
Around the ages of 2 or 3, the number of synapses hits a peak threshold. Shortly after this period of synaptic growth, the brain starts to remove synapses that it no longer needs.
What Is Synaptic Pruning?
Synaptic pruning is a developmental process where the brain refines its neural network by removing less-used connections. Imagine spring cleaning for your brain: eliminating what’s not useful so that stronger connections and survival can flourish.
At about 2 to 3 years of age, the number of synapses hits a peak level. But then shortly after this period of synaptic growth, the brain starts to remove synapses that it no longer needs.
However, when the process is paired with poor habits—like excessive exposure to gaming platforms (e.g., Roblox, Fortnite) or social media (e.g., Instagram, TikTok)—it can lead to "brain rot." These platforms often promote unmonitored activities that inhibit the development of productive habits, reducing the likelihood of long-term fulfillment.
What Is Brain Rot?
When we suppress our innate instincts for curiosity and wonder, 'brain-rot describes what happens to our minds and spirits. Brain rot reflects a worry that consuming the internet's endless waves of memes and video clips, especially on social media, might numb one's noggin.
In Henry David Thoreau’s 1854 classic, Walden, Thoreau wrote, “While England endeavors to cure the potato-rot, will not any endeavor to cure the brain-rot, which prevails so much more widely and fatally?”
Key Considerations for Your Journey
Depending on your age as you read this, take a moment to reflect on these factors:
Your family tree: Understanding generational traits (physical and psychological) can provide insight into your predispositions.
Hereditary genes: From physical traits like eye color to potential health predispositions.
Socio-economic status: Are you a full-time worker, part-time, or self-employed? How does this shape your decisions?
Merit-based accomplishments: What have you achieved? What goals are you setting?
Spiritual affiliation: How does your faith or belief system guide your purpose?
These factors aren’t merely labels; they’re tools to help you perhaps even your child navigate life’s complexities and better position yourself for fulfillment.
Quarter-Life Crisis: A Turning Point
If you’re a young adult facing a quarter-life crisis, know this: life does improve when you identify and embrace the categories that align with your identity. Awareness of your biological and social alignment empowers you to make decisions with greater precision as your gain exposure, wisdom, and experience.
For those born before 1998, much of what we’ve discussed reflects truths grounded in the environment and opportunities we’ve all undeniably encountered. During formative years in America, factors like zip codes, extracurricular programs, parental influence, and familial relationships heavily shape fulfillment trajectories.
Neuroplasticity and Identity Formation
Now, back to neuroplasticity. As we move from childhood into adolescence and early adulthood (ages 14-25), our brain undergoes significant changes, adapting to the environments we’re placed in. Whether it’s:
High school
Trade school
Military training
University/Community College
Graduate school
Work (as a W-2 or 1099 employee)
In the next post, we’ll discuss how these environments shape pathways that influence how we perceive ourselves and the world around us. By understanding and analyzing the science of our brains, genes, and physical environment (epigenetics), we can unlock pathways to purpose and fulfillment.
Sources
Ackerman, Sandra. “The Development and Shaping of the Brain.” Discovering the Brain., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1992, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234146/.
“Brain Basics: The Life and Death of a Neuron.” National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/public-education/brain-basics/brain-basics-life-and-death-neuron. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.
Cafasso, Jacquelyn. “Synaptic Pruning: Definition, Early Childhood, and More.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 18 Sept. 2018, www.healthline.com/health/synaptic-pruning#an-indepth-look.
Mateos-Aparicio, Pedro, and Antonio Rodríguez-Moreno. “The Impact of Studying Brain Plasticity.” Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 27 Feb. 2019, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6400842/.
Thoreau, Henry David, 1817-1862. Walden, or, Life in the Woods. New York :Vintage Books/The Library of America, 1991.
“What Is Neurogenesis?” Queensland Brain Institute - University of Queensland, 23 Apr. 2021, qbi.uq.edu.au/brain-basics/brain-physiology/what-neurogenesis.