Posted on 06/13/2014 12:44:44 AM PDT by Olog-hai
The “cool kids” in middle school may not be so cool when they grow up: A new study suggests these once-popular teens are at greater risk for relationship and drug problems in adulthood. […]
The cool kids were also at greater risk for criminal activity and substance use problems at age 21 to 23. In fact, acting old for your age in middle school was a better predictor of drug problems in adulthood than was drug use in middle school.
The researchers stress that behaviors such as having romantic relationships or breaking the rules are common among older teens. But in the early teen years, “these seemingly minor behaviors predict far greater future risk than has heretofore been recognized,” the researchers wrote in today’s (June 12) issue of the journal Child Development.
The study cannot determine the reason for the findings. …
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
Not really surprised. It’s been my experience that many of those kinds of folks “peak” in high school. I also admit to more than a little bit of schadenfreude (sp?) with how a few of those folks from my high school turned out.
The study probably doesn’t consider the role of character formation during childhood as a predictor of behavior in later life.
Secular science bereft of a moral perspective always seems at a loss for such explanations.
I flipped through the pages saying look how nice this is...
She said it's "cute but not cool".
I asked her what's cool, several times, but she didn't give me an answer.
Later I told my - you got to find out what's cool and let me know.
My wife came back and said "Spider-Man is cool".
I said: Spider-Man is cool!
But how does she know "cool" and how does she know "Spider-Man"?
I've said it before... that daycare center is a jungle!
All of the cool kids from my high school have aged very poorly. I’m shocked at how old they all look after not even twenty years.
If your daughter had teenage brothers, she’d think Assassins’ Creed and Skyrim are cool.
From my school:
Class President: drug addict
Head Cheerleader/Homecoming Queen: flunked out of College after first semester.
Another girl active in student council, and president of several student organizations: Murdered grandmother while on Thanksgiving break, Freshman year of College.
None of the “Young Leaders” amounted to much in College. Not sure where any of them are today.
“The “cool kids” in middle school may not be so cool when they grow up”
I see how parents who themselves were not necessarily thought of as being “cool” in their day, think they have another shot at it by living vicariously through their children.
“I dont care what they say. Cool kids do not high five each other over glasses of warm psuedo tang” -comedian conan o brien on the tv commercials for the beverage, sunny delight.
Shaking the money tree.
I don’t know, the cool kids in my school were the ones that were involved in activities and excelled in academics and athletics and have all turned out on top. While they did party in high school with the best of them, the cool kids were the ones that were able to balance it in there without falling to addiction and interference with priorities. Even the “dumb jocks” for the most part have found a way to do pretty well in sales. Maybe things have changed and these aren’t the cool kids anymore.
“Cool” is whatever they are interested in at the moment at that age. Everything that isn’t basketball related is not cool according to my 5 year old son. I wouldn’t make anything of it as long as what is “cool” isn’t destructive, which Spiderman and basketball clearly aren’t.
The cool kids were beautiful and chatty and visible, but not necessarily wise. They married each other, and sit aloof from the rest of the graduating class at reunions. Which is fine for everyone else.
They weren’t so cool then either.
Are you sure they were considered cool by other kids at the school?
My ex-wife’s aunt was 3 years older than me in high school. She was Miss Everything. . . gorgeous, popular, beauty queen, cheerleader, you name it.
She married a college football player from a top program . . . divorce. She was the significant other of a professional baseball coach for years . . . breakup. She married a military academy grad a little younger than her and bore him two children. Just before he ended his military career at a very high rank (I am purposefully being a little vague) they divorced. She ended up essentially drinking herself to death at 59, still a very attractive woman.
A few people I have known who enjoyed so much success, notoriety and popularity when they were young did not react well to bumps along the way in their lives. Teach your children humility and a healthy dose of self-denial. It may save their lives one day.
I remember this kid from my High School, Ted S., aka Mr Cool. Always had a smart answer and a girl hanging on him.
At our 10th!!! High School reunion, Ted S. showed up. Bald & fat at 28! With no wife or girlfriend.
I realized then that what goes around comes around.
Anyone who’s been to their high school reunion knows that. Oftentimes, the high school “stars” (jock, beauty queen, cheerleader, etc.,) go out into the real world and cannot handle it when they are no longer treated as stars. The first time something bad happens to them, they go to pieces.
The unpopular, picked-on kids learn different lessons. They learn to be strong, not to pick on others, etc. They’re often the smart, successful ones later on.
If you look at old “yearbooks of the stars,” some celebrities were real nerds in high school.
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