Why do so many teens in american society buy into whats cool and don't define cool themselves?

Question

I mean girls and guys try to look and act in a way that is stereotypically what they should do for their gender which is bs anyway. Why are people afraid to be themselves?

Answer 1

I don't think cool is anything but a social label. So it would be useless to define what's cool yourself and act according to that. The stereotypes are statements in themselves - among kids the inherited need to belong to a social hierarchy is particularly strong and those that avoid or defer from what is considered normal have a tendency to develop miss-aligned social protocols. I.e. they act, talk and behave in what is considered to be weird manner, increasing the gap between them.

I'm not gonna go into detail in why this social structure has been so important for us that the strive to be "normal" is basically programmed into our genes, but I think I've at least answered your question, even though it probably raises a few new ones.

Answer 2

not me ur just stereotyping, how do u like it if we stereotype ur people. so there are a large amount of teenagers doing drugs and having s*x, but not the entire teenage population r doing it. i am not afraid to be myself. thats what make ppl unique

Answer 3

'Cool' is defined by the opinion of your peers and society at large, not by an individual.  Human beings are pack animals, and acceptance by the group becomes increasingly important in the teenage years.  Previous to this point, we have defined ourselves by a different 'pack', namely our families.  During our teen years, we begin to realize that someday soon, we will be seperating from our family and forming our own 'pack'.  We 'role play' this situation, attempting to make bonds just as strong as our family bonds.