I would have done anything to be considered a ‘Cool Kid’ at school, now I’m thanking my lucky stars it never happened.
I got my first job at 14.
As soon as I hit 14 and 9 months, I sprinted walked around my local shopping centre handing out my resume, containing lengthy details about the responsibility I held as second-in-charge of the school canteen (on Thursdays) and practically begged anyone who would listen to me for a job.
Finally, a manager at one of Adelaide’s finest restaurants (also known as the local ‘All You Can Eat’ diner) took pity on me and gave me a trial shift.
My parents begged me not to get a job, they told me that I was too young and that I had the rest of my life to slave away behind a cash register.
“Just concentrate on getting your homework done, putting your washing away and being a kid,” they told me, but I had an ulterior motive.
I needed cash and I needed it fast.
I needed it so that I could get my hands on Supres’ latest ‘rara’ mini skirt and call all of my girlfriends on the latest hot pink Motorola flip phone – of course.
I needed these things desperately because that’s what the ‘Cool Kids’ had – and when you’re 14 and 9 months old, being seen as a ‘Cool Kid’ is VERY important.
Actually, for years it’s all I thought about.
It’s not like I didn’t have friends, I did – great ones. But collectively we wanted to be included in with the ‘Cool Kids’. We tried using their lingo, we hung out at the same places they did on weekends (although they may not have seen us peeking at them from around the corner), we even dressed like them – but none of it worked.
Towards the end of high school, I just gave up. It was too exhausting and my Supre skirts kept stretching in the wash. The demand took its toll and I came to terms with the fact that I was never as going to be known as the ‘Cool Kid’ at our 20 year school reunion.
Well, guess who the joke’s on now?
Research from America has just been released that states that if you were the ‘Cool Kid’ at school, you probably hit your life peak.
It’s pretty much down hill from there.
Ah, the taste of sweet, sweet revenge!
The study, titled “Whatever Happened to the Cool Kids?,” conducted by researchers at the University of Virginia, looked at more than 180 American teenagers over a decade.
The results showed that teenagers who were popular during their school years were at a higher risk for experiencing problems as grown ups, such as alcohol and drug abuse and becoming involved in crime.
Joseph Allen, professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, told the Daily Mail, “over time, these teens needed more and more extreme behaviours to try to appear cool, at least to a sub-group of other teens,”
“These previously cool teens appeared less competent – socially and otherwise – than their less cool peers by the time they reaches young adulthood.”
I wonder if that ‘Queen Bee’ who I wasn’t ‘cool’ enough for is available this afternoon to help me…. help me get down from my high horse!
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