Those "cool" kids who picked on you in middle school? Yeah, they're probably losers as adults.

5311385056_2b4b16dfba_z-240x300.jpg

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

Photo: Flickr/Justin P LambertIf your adolescence was anything like mine, it involved more than a small dose of harassment from the "cool" kids. To console me, my mom would always tell me that those kids would end up the losers. Well, guess what -- she was right! These scientists tracked kids from middle school until their mid-twenties. They found that popular kids ended up having fewer close relationships and were more likely to be involved in crime and substance abuse. I guess I feel better now?What Ever Happened to the "Cool" Kids? Long-Term Sequelae of Early Adolescent Pseudomature Behavior. "Pseudomature behavior-ranging from minor delinquency to precocious romantic involvement-is widely viewed as a nearly normative feature of adolescence. When such behavior occurs early in adolescence, however, it was hypothesized to reflect a misguided overemphasis upon impressing peers and was considered likely to predict long-term adjustment problems. In a multimethod, multireporter study following a community sample of 184 adolescents from ages 13 to 23, early adolescent pseudomature behavior was linked cross-sectionally to a heightened desire for peer popularity and to short-term success with peers. Longitudinal results, however, supported the study's central hypothesis: Early adolescent pseudomature behavior predicted long-term difficulties in close relationships, as well as significant problems with alcohol and substance use, and elevated levels of criminal behavior." Related content: NCBI ROFL: Study proves elementary school bathrooms unpleasant. NCBI ROFL: Characterization of coarse particulate matter in school gyms. NCBI ROFL: Oral malodor and related factors in Japanese senior high school students.

1 free article left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

1 free articleSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Shop Now
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2023 Kalmbach Media Co.