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POPULARITY AND UNPOPULARITY |
Adolescents have different names for different groups of people: jocks, trendies, nerds, dorks, geeks. This crowd definition and membership becomes increasingly important in adolescence (Arnett 239). |
What makes someone popular? Studies of adolescents say physical attractiveness, intelligence, and social skills. It has been shown that those who are popular during childhood are usually the ones who are popular in adolescence. This is because characteristics such as social skills and intelligence do not drastically change over time (Arnett). |
Social skills seem to be at the top of the list for what makes one popular. It has been noted that popular teens may hang out with a larger group, but those who aren’t as popular probably have closer friends because they are able to concentrate on those few friendships (McCave 115). |
Popularity is important to adolescents, as is demonstrated in an advice column on TeenMag.com. Through a long answer, the main advice was, “Get involved in clubs, sports, or other activities that will let you meet and mingle with other kids who share your interests.” This not only confirms the fact that social skills are a major factor in popularity, but also that teens choose their friends from those who share similar interests. |
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“Adolescence is the age when a child feels his parents should be told the facts of life.”
(Esar) |
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