Entry 4: Draft 2

     Before I began this research, I didn't really think adolescents these days cared much about popularity. I thought it was more like "this is the way I am deal with it", because there is always someone who you can be friends with, and those who dislike you almost always come around at some point. At least in high school from my experiences. I guess that's not the case in most places.

      I had to learn the difference between popularity, and social status, realization of two types adolescents in peer groups. Perceived and sociometrically popular. I've learned that those unlikely attributes if they don't die out in the popularity game, could determine the success-fulness of teens as adults. Now I see the effects social status has on teens when i realize what teens do to obtain a high status, or popularity. I see what teens give up and I understand why, but not why maturity does not come quickly when it comes to the real life after high school.

      It was shocking to realize what I was looking at but not seeing. Teens are driven by other teens and the media to take a big risk of losing themselves, their true attributes before someone else didn't like them. When so many teens as there are want a higher status, society's productiveness is getting pushed back. Since it takes so long for teens to mature, what could have been accomplished for instance by the age of thirty-five, if ever accomplished could take to the age of fifty-five to succeed in. Adolescents are constantly competing with each other for who is the best at this and who looks the best at that, but we realize that in the near future the best will be the one who applied themselves the most. Thus those who were probably teased for their useful later in life attributes.

      Before I thought the backing up of productivity had all to do with laziness and not the will to apply one's-self. Now I've learned that immaturity, and different mind sets could be the basis of that laziness. Generations before had no choice but to do away with childlike behavior to survive, but generations ahead seem to be getting softer. Biology could claim to be a cause in relation to aggressiveness, and stubborn behavior among teens, but generations before those teen with the same attributes unlike teens could have used those attributes to better their lives and not impress others.

     How are teens affected by their social status, and popularity? Social status, and popularity "runs" the lives of adolescents. They are influenced by the media, and peers to look a certain way and act a certain way, and they do it for one reason, to be accepted. On the negative side, maturity takes longer, and becomes harder to reach. Thus adult success takes longer and becomes harder to reach. On the positive side for teens who have a particularly lower social status and do not engage themselves in popularity, it is just the opposite. From here arrives another question "why do we do this to ourselves?" or should it be "when will we stop" ?