Your question shows a high level of awareness of the importance teens place on being popular. You are to be commended for having such a level. Keep in mind that your generation of classmates is no different from others that came before you. Being popular has been important to teenagers for a long time.
Before getting into the answer to the question, keep in mind that there is nothing wrong with teenagers wanting to be popular. The problem remains with us, that as adults we have created an environment of “popularity mentality” that all of you have copied and now imitate.
The answer to this question is both simple and complex. There are so many different levels of popularity in high school because there are so many different levels of popularity in adult society. Unfortunately, this is a case where teens aren’t doing anything more in high school than what we’re seen as adults doing in the adult world.
Different adult levels of popularity
You don’t have to look far to see the different levels of popularity among adults. Turn on the television, Internet or radio and you will quickly find the following different levels of popularity among adults.
- You have the stars, athletes and entertainers. They seem to be the most popular because it seems like a lot of people want to be like them.
- You have the very rich and wealthy people. They are also very popular, but their level of popularity is different. People don’t want to be like rich people because they personally like them. People want to have the amount of money that the rich have.
- Another level of popularity among adults are those with jobs or professional titles. Doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists, politicians, and school principals all have their own level of popularity. This level is not as high as the first two, but it is another level nonetheless.
- Another level of popularity among adults can be found on the streets. Scammers, gamblers, pimps and gangsters also have a level of popularity. There are not a few who want to be like these people.
Teenagers see these different levels of popularity in the adult world and then believe and do the same thing when they get to school. The shame is that the most popular people in the world of older adults are rarely people with good hearts. People who regularly help the poor, needy and less fortunate. The most popular people in the adult world are in many cases the people with the biggest egos. People who are very greedy and have the smallest conscience.
This is why there are so many different levels of popularity in high school. Hopefully your generation will eventually grow into adults who, at best, change this and make popularity less of a big deal or, at worst, identify popular people in function of high character traits, such as high morals, goodwill, and integrity.