What Kind of "Human Connections" Help Children from Low-Income Families Succeed in the Future? Harvard University Study Reveals
A research team including members from Harvard University in the United States has published an interesting analysis regarding the conditions required for children raised in low-income households to become high-earning adults. This study was also published in the scientific journal "Nature" and is garnering significant attention around the world.
The research team analyzed anonymized data from approximately 72.2 million Americans between the ages of 25 and 44 who use Facebook. Specifically, they investigated a network of 21 billion friendships to clarify what kind of human relationships influence future economic success.
As a result of the analysis, it was found that "the environment of the people one is connected to" is more important than simply having a high "number of friends." In particular, the study showed a trend where children raised in environments with access to people from more economically advantaged backgrounds are more likely to earn higher incomes in the future.
This study suggests that in order to reduce social inequality, it is important to build communities where people from different economic backgrounds can interact naturally. In Japan as well, this will likely serve as an important hint for considering how diverse human relationships in local communities and schools impact a child's future.
The findings of this survey have once again proven how important surrounding environments and human relationships are, beyond just individual effort. Moving forward, it is hoped that this data will lead to discussions on how social systems can be structured to provide more opportunities for a greater number of children.