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I wonder why children cry at all. Isn't that evolutionary stupid to cry so loud so much? My only idea is that children cries is a side-effect of their brain de

I wonder why children cry at all. Isn't that evolutionary stupid to cry so loud so much? My only idea is that children cries is a side-effect of their brain development.

pilif 13y ago
If the child is in a group of other humans, the louder it cries the more likely it is to be noticed. The more annoying the cry is to other people, the more likely it is to get help. Humans always lived in groups, so being loud and annoying has huge evolutionary advantages over being quiet.
- guard-of-terra 13y ago
  They mostly cry without any reason watsoever. Even today children crying gets them shaken violently in some cultres. I can't imagine pre-historic humans to be more well-tempered and tolerant than today. It doesn't make sense.
  - taway2012 13y ago
    > They mostly cry without any reason watsoever. Hmm, I'm guessing you are child-free? In my experience, it's not normal for a baby to cry for no reason. I'm only replying to present a diff. point of view in case people go away thinking it's normal for a baby to cry for no reason.
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
  - rayiner 13y ago
    > They mostly cry without any reason watsoever. Not really, it's just that we find it difficult as adults to empathize enough to understand what's bothering them. Children cry because they're hungry, because they've got gas, because they're sick or uncomfortable, because they're overstimulated, or because they're bored. Since they eat every few hours, have developing digestive systems, have developing temperature regulation systems, and have no internal monologue and short attention spans, one of these things becomes a problem very frequently. As they get older, they cry because they have no emotional regulation (something that isn't fully developed until after adolescence). If I snatch a candy bar out of your hand you were about to bite into, you feel that initial pang of loss but quickly your higher faculties regulates that emotion. If I grab a piece of "floor food" my 9 month old is about to put in her mouth, she feels that same emotional response, but there is nothing to regulate it.
    - guard-of-terra 13y ago
      There will never be anyone around able to empathize enough to understand what's bothering them. Why bother crying? Why don't kittens, baby rabbits or calves cry that loud that much? Instead they happily crawl around. What makes human babies so problematic and miserable?
      - abstractbill 13y ago
        Compared to most other animals, human babies are born more helpless and dependent on those around them (for example, most other species have young that are able to crawl or walk already). I believe the theory I've heard goes something like: It was beneficial for humans to start walking upright, but that development puts selective pressure on having a narrower pelvis for increased stability. Having a narrower pelvis implies having a smaller birth canal, which in turn puts pressure on having a shorter gestation period.
        guard-of-terra 13y ago
        I wonder if we can fix it after introducing uterine replicators.
  - ceejayoz 13y ago
    > They mostly cry without any reason watsoever. Not knowing the reason is not the same as without reason. A child may cry for seemingly silly reasons (there's an excellent Tumblr blog "reasons my son is crying") but there's generally a reason.
    - jlgreco 13y ago
      When the reason can be literally anything, you might as well say there is no reason.
      - dylangs1030 13y ago
        They don't cry for anything - they cry for a narrow set of reasons that occur often. Babes are frequently uncomfortable, upset by their surroundings, etc. They have very few valid reasons to cry, but their environment provides those particular stimulus very often.
  - DanBC 13y ago
    > They mostly cry without any reason watsoever. This is false. It is rare for a child under the age of 6 months to cry for no reason. Children under this age cry to communicate a need - they are in pain, they are hungry, they are cold, they are scared. Once the parent has met the need the child will stop crying. It is incredibly traumatic for parents to have a crying child - the cries are evolved to be distressing to make parents assess the needs. Support groups exist for "cholic" (baby crying with no apparent reason). Even over this age children usually have a reason to cry. They don't just cry for the sake of crying.
tjtrapp 13y ago
From what I know, the crying is due to the change in pressure that affects babies inner ears during takeoff and landing.
- guard-of-terra 13y ago
  Why do they cry on a bus or on a street even?
  - johansch 13y ago
    They cry when they need something from their keeper, like a diaper changed, some comfort, whatever. Perfectly understandable. What is 10x more infuriating is a six year old screaming at the top of its lungs, with the parents either ignoring or smiling happily.
- vkou 13y ago
  Exactly. Taking a baby onto an airplane is equivalent to torturing it... And, as a consequence, everyone around it.
  - scotty79 13y ago
    1000 times this. When airplane starts to descend my ears do funny thing. I begin to hear everything like from under a meter of water. My ears also hurt like hell. And it doesn't stop. On my first flight ever, I suffered for half an hour waiting for this feeling to pass. No amount of swallowing helped. Then I told my friend about it and he ssugested that I blow the air out through the nose while holding it shut with my hand. Presto. I was back with the living. If you could somehow do this manouver to an infant that started crying on descent.... Otherwise you are funding him about an hour of really painful torture. This method is also described in that flight magazine on page 53 or something. Should be on the cover.
    - ceejayoz 13y ago
      > If you could somehow do this manouver to an infant that started crying on descent.... Otherwise you are funding him about an hour of really painful torture. Chewing/swallowing tends to accomplish the same thing, which is why it's recommended to give them a bottle during takeoff/landing.
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

I wonder why children cry at all. Isn't that evolutionary stupid to cry so loud so much? My only idea is that children cries is a side-effect of their brain development.

pilif 13y ago

If the child is in a group of other humans, the louder it cries the more likely it is to be noticed. The more annoying the cry is to other people, the more likely it is to get help. Humans always lived in groups, so being loud and annoying has huge evolutionary advantages over being quiet.

guard-of-terra 13y ago
They mostly cry without any reason watsoever. Even today children crying gets them shaken violently in some cultres. I can't imagine pre-historic humans to be more well-tempered and tolerant than today. It doesn't make sense.
- taway2012 13y ago
  > They mostly cry without any reason watsoever. Hmm, I'm guessing you are child-free? In my experience, it's not normal for a baby to cry for no reason. I'm only replying to present a diff. point of view in case people go away thinking it's normal for a baby to cry for no reason.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- rayiner 13y ago
  > They mostly cry without any reason watsoever. Not really, it's just that we find it difficult as adults to empathize enough to understand what's bothering them. Children cry because they're hungry, because they've got gas, because they're sick or uncomfortable, because they're overstimulated, or because they're bored. Since they eat every few hours, have developing digestive systems, have developing temperature regulation systems, and have no internal monologue and short attention spans, one of these things becomes a problem very frequently. As they get older, they cry because they have no emotional regulation (something that isn't fully developed until after adolescence). If I snatch a candy bar out of your hand you were about to bite into, you feel that initial pang of loss but quickly your higher faculties regulates that emotion. If I grab a piece of "floor food" my 9 month old is about to put in her mouth, she feels that same emotional response, but there is nothing to regulate it.
  - guard-of-terra 13y ago
    There will never be anyone around able to empathize enough to understand what's bothering them. Why bother crying? Why don't kittens, baby rabbits or calves cry that loud that much? Instead they happily crawl around. What makes human babies so problematic and miserable?
    - abstractbill 13y ago
      Compared to most other animals, human babies are born more helpless and dependent on those around them (for example, most other species have young that are able to crawl or walk already). I believe the theory I've heard goes something like: It was beneficial for humans to start walking upright, but that development puts selective pressure on having a narrower pelvis for increased stability. Having a narrower pelvis implies having a smaller birth canal, which in turn puts pressure on having a shorter gestation period.
      - guard-of-terra 13y ago
        I wonder if we can fix it after introducing uterine replicators.
- ceejayoz 13y ago
  > They mostly cry without any reason watsoever. Not knowing the reason is not the same as without reason. A child may cry for seemingly silly reasons (there's an excellent Tumblr blog "reasons my son is crying") but there's generally a reason.
  - jlgreco 13y ago
    When the reason can be literally anything, you might as well say there is no reason.
    - dylangs1030 13y ago
      They don't cry for anything - they cry for a narrow set of reasons that occur often. Babes are frequently uncomfortable, upset by their surroundings, etc. They have very few valid reasons to cry, but their environment provides those particular stimulus very often.
- DanBC 13y ago
  > They mostly cry without any reason watsoever. This is false. It is rare for a child under the age of 6 months to cry for no reason. Children under this age cry to communicate a need - they are in pain, they are hungry, they are cold, they are scared. Once the parent has met the need the child will stop crying. It is incredibly traumatic for parents to have a crying child - the cries are evolved to be distressing to make parents assess the needs. Support groups exist for "cholic" (baby crying with no apparent reason). Even over this age children usually have a reason to cry. They don't just cry for the sake of crying.

tjtrapp 13y ago

From what I know, the crying is due to the change in pressure that affects babies inner ears during takeoff and landing.

guard-of-terra 13y ago
Why do they cry on a bus or on a street even?
- johansch 13y ago
  They cry when they need something from their keeper, like a diaper changed, some comfort, whatever. Perfectly understandable. What is 10x more infuriating is a six year old screaming at the top of its lungs, with the parents either ignoring or smiling happily.
vkou 13y ago
Exactly. Taking a baby onto an airplane is equivalent to torturing it... And, as a consequence, everyone around it.
- scotty79 13y ago
  1000 times this. When airplane starts to descend my ears do funny thing. I begin to hear everything like from under a meter of water. My ears also hurt like hell. And it doesn't stop. On my first flight ever, I suffered for half an hour waiting for this feeling to pass. No amount of swallowing helped. Then I told my friend about it and he ssugested that I blow the air out through the nose while holding it shut with my hand. Presto. I was back with the living. If you could somehow do this manouver to an infant that started crying on descent.... Otherwise you are funding him about an hour of really painful torture. This method is also described in that flight magazine on page 53 or something. Should be on the cover.
  - ceejayoz 13y ago
    > If you could somehow do this manouver to an infant that started crying on descent.... Otherwise you are funding him about an hour of really painful torture. Chewing/swallowing tends to accomplish the same thing, which is why it's recommended to give them a bottle during takeoff/landing.

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]