Why is it a social norm to try and be popular?

Question

and for kids who don't have many friends, they are teased about it and further isolated. same with a lot of adults.

would you rather be popular, or not so popular?

Answer 1

Kids who are conventionally attractive, lack imagination (or any particular talent), have overly generous allowances, and manipulate by forming opinion, tend to see school as a game of "Social Club", which is a competitive game they think they can win.

They find similar kids, and form the "Popular" clique. They enoy a high profile (people think this is the same as high status, but it isn't), and model their values on adult society (using people, making people suffer for being different, not thinking deeply). They create a reality where they are in charge. Everyone else buys it.

They exist by streaching the very thin zone between opinion and reality. Let's call it "PR-space". Their PR-skills are better than most other people, because that's all they have. Their ongoing PR offensive tells everyone that;

a) They are "Popular"

b) Being popular is the best thing you could possibly be.

If you took a vote of everyone in every clique - all the Geeks, Jocks, Goths, Gangstas, the Brass Band, Rockers, Punks, Pot-heads, Musos, Young Republicans, Martial Artists, etc., and all of the unaffiliated kids, about who they liked most, you may well find that the "Popular" kids were using the word popular as a noun "I am a 'Popular'", rather than an adjective "I am a popular kid". Aside from everything else, they are very subtle language n***s.

Things get better. Adults wouldn't dare treat people as badly as "Popular" kids treat everyone else at school.

Speaking for myself, I'd rather stick a fork in my leg than be in the Popular clique.

Answer 2

I don't want to be popular, because then people would be calling me all the time, making it harder for me to get any work done. I'd always be running around from one event to another and probably wouldn't have much time to myself.

Answer 3

Be yourself man!  Nothing else!

Answer 4

We all want to be liked and loved. It is in our genes because humans are a social animal. Some of us however prefer our own space and company to rash and loud people. I like to choose my friends from those who have similar interests not those who are the opposite.

Answer 5

There are times where I'd like to be popular, but other times where I enjoy time by myself.  I'd want to be ME and never try to be something I'm not.  Everyone has their niche.  We all want to be accepted, appreciated and loved.  I think that's why people strive for popularity.  To have a sense of worth.

Answer 6

Because they think youre trying too hard

Answer 7

I suppose just because everyone wants to be accapted and feel wanted and loved, also American teen movies and sitcoms always show the popular kids as being better so I suppose that further supports that idealism.

Myself, when I was at school Me and my friends werent so popular. We just had a small group of 8 (4 guys 4 girls) and we really just stuck to ourselves. Eveyone else at our school was into hip hip and did drugs and stuff, we were the only ones into punk and metal and that so we really just did our own thing not caring if anyone else liked us. Its weird though because I finished school about 5 years ago and seen a few of the "popular" kids since then and some have said things like "you guys were so cool you were like little punkers". So its strange, I guess because we didnt care about other kids that made us seem cooler or something? I dunno. But I wouldnt chnage it for the world, I'm still best friends with my friends from school, they are the most awesome poeple. So i guess in answer to your question I wouldnt want to be popular (in the cheerleader sense of the word) but would rather be friends with poeple like me. Not the cool kids, and not the kids everyone picked on.... but the people that never get a mention in teen movies.

Answer 8

During adolescence, everyone has a need to know where they fit in.  It applies to everybody.  This is where self-confidence comes in.  Once a person realizes that they are not perfect, don't know everything, and try to do the best that they can, then they will get recognized.

Answer 9

People want to be popular so that they feel accepted in society. Plus human beings like nothing better than to be part of a group for security and protection. Therefore being popular makes people feel untouchable.

Personally I don't care what people think about me. Therefore I wouldn't want to say whether or not i would want to be popular as i don't like labelling. The way I see it is if people can't accept me for who and what i am the n **** them.

Answer 10

It is a children's thing.  Most people grow out of it - those that do not are suffering what psychologists call a psychological disorder!!

Answer 11

because its human nature to want to be accepted by others, and especially by others who are of apparent higher status than you.

id rather be popular, i suppose. but id want to be popular because people like my personality, and not because theyre scared of me or want to sleep with me.

Answer 12

all the popular girls at my school are b*****s....

so no thanks