A dentist who recently visited Ns school and explained to the third graders on a delicate subject: Braces. What everyone wanted to know first told my son was, "Does it hurt?" At this point, she could soothe the dentist. But if there were still a problem, hemmed N. around. What's that? "Your popularity goes down," murmured N., precaution in English.
Whether this is also the Zahnar nt had said I wanted to know. No, no. But that is just so, but everyone knows that. To prove I was nerve a book is a bestseller in America: "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney, the semi written, half stick figure drawn, fictional diary zwölfjähri Gen. Greg (In Germany it is titled "Greg's diary - surrounded by idiots" recalls issued, and a bit of it to me the "Little Nick" vo n Sempé and Goscinny - although not only a different century, but also a comes another culture). And there it is, on page 7 : "Bryce is the most popular kid in our grade, so that leaves all . The rest of us scrambling for the other spots, "He probably as'm ranked 52 or 53, Greg speculates, but" the good news is that I'm about to move up one spot because Charlie Davies is above me, and . he's getting his braces next week "
also N. and his classmates know exactly who is more popular than their classmates, and it is absolutely clear: This is the boys a big issue (for the girls probably are, but because I know nothing less). For the ranking include, inter alia, how many appointments to the so-called play dates you have, how many birthday parties you are invited to, and whether the break in one of the first in the football / basketball / kickball team is chosen.
had always thought I am acutely popularity only in high school, then a teenager - the keyword "the quarterback and the cutest cheerleader. Judging by the mass of the relevant reports, debates and self-help articles, the topic is also to be particularly virulent. A Article the New York Times describes a true "cult of popularity that reigns in high school." The intellectual foundations but are apparently already set years earlier.
For not only the children themselves are worried about their popularity factor. K., the father of a friend of N. spoke, already in view of its plain text was seven years: his son has the latest video games, the suspension frames, Lego sets and lavish birthday parties, "because I want him to be popular." In the social competition like the "peer group" to be at school the venue - is the incentive to social ambition often at home.
"Popularity" is so important because, as one of the basic ingredients for "success" is for success. (As is usually successful in using the life-Categories defined who makes first career and money, 2nd has a beautiful home and 3 leads a happy family life.) The two terms are often linked - even where a direct connection is dubious. The starting point is always the assumption that popularity in the life of any further help. But the competition is fierce: Only 15 to 20 percent a year group do it, according to relevant studies and surveys in the "popular crowd".
means Ideally, "to be popular," that you have some good friends and a large circle that we even good with parents manages - their own as those of his friends - well in school and sports active. "We are talking about socially extremely competent kids, make it are very different and difficult to cope with social situations ", as formulated by the much-quoted popularity researcher Joseph P. Allen of the University of Virginia in the Times .
In real life it looks like is not always so idyllic. The most popular students" have the right clothing, the right hairstyle and the right parents. With the right parents often means nothing more than the right money, "we read under the title Popularity and Success in an article in the online magazine Suite101 . (And no braces, one might add). But they are also the social pressure of "peer pressure" on delivered the strongest, would therefore be far more common shoplifters, alcohol and drug users than the average.
whether ideal or distorted: In any case, that means popular concept of hard work - and tough competition for other destinations in the life of the "kids". Who wants to be "popular" must expend much time and energy to deal with their own effect on others. We must remain visible and are just so remarkable that it does not disappear in the middle 50 percent. At the same time but you have to be adjusted enough to be uncomfortable to stand out and end up in the bottom 30 percent of the "losers" and "nerds."
nothing against social Competence. But how mainstream - and time dependent (and thus ultimately mediocre) "popularity" can only be, is to visit here: In the educational film Are You Popular? of 1947. Lovely smile, a good manicure and willingness to be self-abandonment presented here, at least for young females as a key to success.
The smartest text I've found this in the network comes from the American programmer and essayist Paul Graham: Why Nerds Are Unpopular . His answer to this question is simple: "Smart kids ... do not really want to be popular." Had someone already told him in school, he would have laughed at the course, said Graham continued. "Of course I wanted to be popular, but in reality it just does not, at least not enough There was something else that I wanted to be better... Smart"
popularity, however, is something you can not do on the side. Graham cited the Italian humanist Leon Battista Alberti, which no art, however modest, too, requires less than total dedication if you want to really master it. And probably no one working in the world devoted to anything than American students on their popularity. Partly consciously, partly unconsciously, these teenagers are in continuous use as a conformist. The opinion of others is for them become the measure of all things. Nerds on the other hand did not care really about because they had to do something else. Your attention is true books, computers or nature, rather than parties or fashion.
Both practices are no accident, but learned, as Graham says. The popular young people have learned to want to be popular, would have learned as well as the nerds trying to be smart - and already from their parents: "While the nerds were being trained to get the right answers, the popular kids were being trained to please. "
In the closed world of the Middle and High Schools in America's suburbs are where teenagers (hormone-conditioned in the comfortable belief that they are crazed and therefore not already available) provided with the material hardly challenges that grow out . Graham, according to the meaningless ritual of "popularity contests" almost inevitably grotesque from only learned Nerds - the willful book lovers, enthusiasts and geeks - would have the strength to resist this pull
What makes Graham's 2003 text written for a nerve. can be seen in the comments. Not only in their content, but already at the sheer number 967 are currently listed - Some only a few hours old.
And on my word stimulus ranking in the vocabulary of my sons, there is now a new entry, before "cool" and "dude": "popular".
(Princeton Post XXVI)
