Acceleration

The Acceleration corresponds to a somatic or psychological acceleration of development.

In addition to individual accelerations, there are also secular accelerations in which an entire generation is subject to accelerated development due to environmental influences.

Physical accelerations are mainly associated with poor posture.

What is acceleration?

Acceleration is understood by medical professionals to mean an acceleration or general increase in maturity or growth, for example sexual maturity. In terms of sexuality, early puberty in particular indicates acceleration.

The term comes from the Latin noun "acceleratio", which literally translates as "acceleration". Basically, there is acceleration when the individual, physical development of an individual is faster or more extreme than that of his peers is then of individual acceleration.

The physician also speaks of acceleration when the development of an entire generation is faster or more extreme than that of the previous generation. In this context, there is also talk of a secular acceleration.

Sometimes, in addition to the somatically accelerated development, even an accelerated development of the psyche is referred to as acceleration. Acceleration can also be used in education. This is particularly the case in the promotion of gifted children, i.e. in forms of instruction for students whose cognitive skills develop faster than the average.

The opposite of acceleration is retardation. This phenomenon corresponds to a mentally or physically slowed development and occurs, for example, in the context of many gene mutations.

Function & task

The physical development of a living being is adapted to its environment. Accelerations are therefore phenomena of adaptation which, according to scientists, can be attributed to changes in environmental conditions. In industrial nations, for example, because of the permanently improved standard of living, researchers have been able to document an increase in size every year, which apparently corresponds to a regular acceleration. The climatic conditions of a region are also associated with physical development.

The supply of stimuli should also be related to physical development. The many stimuli within an urban civilization have an accelerating effect on the physical development of an individual. Any stress effects during childhood should also have an influence on development.

However, the connections between acceleration and urbanization as well as industrialization are now being questioned again by some researchers. The tide has turned in the industrialized nations, especially in recent years. Despite the steadily improving living standards in these countries, physical development is currently progressing more slowly again.

Illnesses & ailments

The acceleration in the industrialized nations has favored some health problems. In 1975 a tall man was about 184 centimeters tall. In 2000, a body size of 191 centimeters was considered tall in the industrialized nations. Above all, this acceleration has favored poor posture.

A healthy spine arches a little back in the chest area and a little forward in the lumbar area. However, tall people often bow their heads or move more bent, which is contrary to the natural curvature of the spine. Especially tall people often have their shoulders pulled together. This also goes against the natural shape of the spine. In some cases tall people want to make themselves smaller, consciously or unconsciously, in order to adapt to the average.

On the other hand, their field of interaction is further down and they are sometimes forced to adopt this wrong attitude because their environment is not designed for them. Objects of everyday use, for example, are often not at their height. The vehicle industry is also not adapted to strong accelerations and may force people of above-average height to adopt bad postures that they make a habit in the long term.

One consequence of this is not only back problems, but also and above all joint problems. In many cases, the joint cartilage wears out prematurely due to the incorrect loading of the joints, which promotes symptoms such as osteoarthritis. Symptoms associated with poor posture are often severe headaches and neck pain.

The natural curvature of the spine cushions stress while walking or during other types of movement. This dampening function is no longer given in the event of a poor posture, which can lead to the symptoms mentioned.

Theoretically, the increase in size can be limited medically by giving those affected hormones. However, this form of treatment is controversial and has many side effects. An intervention in physical development is only indicated in the case of severe extremes that would result in unacceptable health consequences.

Accelerated development of sexuality can also cause symptoms. According to studies, premature adolescents tend to have significantly stronger self-assertion tendencies and a strong eroticization of their environment. Some accelerations also take place as part of an illness, such as tall stature.