How Modern Fatherhood Is Changing Men’s Brains artwork
Plain English with Derek Thompson

How Modern Fatherhood Is Changing Men’s Brains

Jun 9, 2026 · 1 hr 4 min

Humans are unusual dads. Across the animal kingdom, dads are often absent from child-rearing altogether. But among humans, fatherhood takes many forms, and in the last half century, it has changed dramatically. College-educated American fathers now spend nearly four times as much time caring for their children as they did in the 1960s. And according to new research, this new type of fatherhood do…