Child prodigies demonstrate exceptional abilities in art, intellect, or physical skills beyond their age group. They may struggle to fit in socially and may develop underdeveloped physical and social skills. Some child prodigies go on to have successful careers as adults, while others choose to live normal lives. The stereotype of a child prodigy is often portrayed in TV and movies.
A kid genius is a child or adolescent who demonstrates extraordinary artistic, intellectual, or physical abilities far beyond what would be considered normal for his or her age group. A twelve-year-old boy graduating from college would be considered a wizard boy, as would an eight-year-old girl who can perform a complex violin concerto perfectly. While child whiz kids can be found in almost any academic, artistic, or athletic field, many people tend to think of a whiz kid as a mathematical or scientific genius, or a strangely intelligent but socially inept nerd or geek.
A boy wizard often lives two separate lives, one as a recognized genius in his field and another as a child trying to fit socially into his age group. Too much dedication to one path can cause problems with the other, sometimes creating an egocentric “brain” with underdeveloped physical and social skills. While this type of idiosyncratic behavior may be perfectly understandable in a gifted adult, it can lead to serious developmental problems for a sensitive and gifted child.
However, that doesn’t mean that the lifestyle of a child prodigy isn’t without its perks. Some music wizards like Stevie Wonder, Steve Winwood and Billy Preston, who demonstrated exceptional talent at a young age, go on to lead successful careers as adult performers. Other genius kids find lucrative employment as researchers, computer program designers, and medical professionals. Many talented child actors like Jodie Foster turn their early successes into lucrative adult careers.
The stereotypical persona of a boy whiz or brainiac has also been a staple of television and movies for decades. The main character Doogie Howser of the television series Doogie Howser, MD was a child prodigy who received his medical degree while still a teenager. Malcolm from Malcolm in the Middle and Lisa Simpson from The Simpsons would also be considered genius kids, recognized for their superior intellect by adults but somewhat ostracized by their own peer groups.
Not all wizard boys can successfully maintain their gifted status into adulthood. Sometimes a gifted child becomes disinterested in pursuing an accelerated lifestyle, preferring instead to live their life outside of a pressure-filled academic or artistic environment. Others experience an intellectual growth spurt early in their lives that qualifies them as kid geniuses, but over time the gap between them and their peers closes.
A certain percentage of child prodigies exploit their early skills in lucrative adult careers, but many former child prodigies find comfort in living relatively normal adult lives without being exploited for their superior intellectual or artistic abilities.
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