Fascinating Article about Being ‘Cool’ at 13 (Hint: Not a Good Thing)
A fascinating article about a study that examined so-called cool kids as they entered their teenage years lost their way by the time they reached early adulthood. ‘Pseudomature’ behavior that resulted in popularity and being labeled ‘cool’ at age 13 was predictive of all sorts of problems at age 23.
My takeaway is that the rush to adulthood among children, pushed by parents and popular culture, is misguided because they aren’t developmentally ready to assume the role of adult yet. Many young people become stuck in adolescence and never fully mature.
As the lead researcher stated, “To be truly mature as an early adolescent means you’re able to be a good, loyal friend, supportive, hardworking and responsible…But that doesn’t get a lot of airplay on Monday morning in a ninth-grade homeroom.”
Key takeaway: you don’t want your kids to be cool.
