Boys and girls were left alone for 5 days as part of a social experiment. The results are eye-opening

Editor's note: This article was originally published on January 6, 2023. It has since been updated.

Children undergo a lot of conditioning from a very young age that influences their behavior. It's no secret that boys even at a young age enjoy more privileges than girls. A social experiment highlighted how this conditioning can influence a group of boys and girls in a controlled environment. The 2017 social experiment demonstrates this clearly. Earlier in January 2023, the Instagram account Impact uploaded a photo detailing what happened when a group of ten boys and ten girls each spent a week living in unsupervised households. The 'Boric Acid Avenger' Twitter account released excerpts from the original videos on YouTube, and the internet has since been engaged in numerous debates concerning gender roles. Below is a synopsis of both sides of the experiment, as well as some of the opinions expressed online, as reported by Bored Panda. 

It all started in the early 2000s when Channel 4's Cutting Edge producers decided to do a documentary called "Boys Alone." It focused on how 10 boys aged 11 to 12 were transported to live for five days in a magnificent home in Hertfordshire. The twist here is that the boys had never met before, and there were no grownups to monitor them. This was followed by an identical experiment being performed on a group of ten girls. While everything appeared to be going well at first, it did not take long for things to devolve into pandemonium. Boys, on one hand, formed gangs and became disruptive with items laying around the house. They largely subsisted on cereal and fizzy beverages. 

Girls, on the other hand, exhibited chaotic behavior, although it was more organized. A handful of them also made it their obligation to prepare meals and clean up afterward. The video of the experiment has gained a lot of attention, with multiple Twitter users sharing it on the social networking platform. Close friendships have blossomed, broken up, and then reformed. Though the girls argued and fought, they were also able to forgive each other, comfort each other when they were angry, and aid each other. "So ALL of them took a cooking course? And only one group cooked? Only one group cleaned? Only one group organized meetings? Only one group delegated tasks? And that’s the group that would make terrible leaders because they’re “too much drama and too emotional”?????" commented a Twitter user. 

If you're a parent, you might not have realized that your sons and daughters might be getting a somewhat different upbringing. You probably feel that all of your children have equal abilities and can achieve whatever they desire in life. However, you may be unintentionally pushing them in one direction or the other. Have you ever pushed your sons to participate in sports without ever asking whether they wanted to take art courses or learn to dance? Have you encouraged your girls to assist you in the kitchen but never asked them if they want to play football with their brothers? We are all conditioned to link particular actions and features with boys and girls, and breaking down such implicit biases can be difficult.

The notion that "boys will be boys" is an outmoded attitude that should be abandoned. Girls are held to higher standards from a young age and are expected to develop life skills and responsibilities or face discrimination. Boys, on the other hand, are somehow permitted to get away with little to no penalties for their misdeeds until they reach an age when they are compelled to take care of themselves or find a partner to do so in the same way that their parents did. Of course, not every boy or man has difficulty accepting responsibility and learning how to cook, clean, and maintain personal hygiene. However, women are not offered equal opportunities in general. They are just expected to know these things.