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Cool Kids in School Are Losers in Later Life

While they might have been at the top of the pecking order in highschool, a new study says the so-called "cool kids" are definitely at a disadvantage later in life.

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According to researchers from the University of Virginia, while their behaviour might have been linked to early popularity, over time, these teens go to extreme efforts to try to appear cool - which is detrimental to their later development.

"(As a result), they become involved in more serious criminal behaviour and alcohol and drug use as adolescence progresses," said Professor Joseph Allen, professor of psychology at the university.

By age 22, the cool kids also struggle to make friends. "These previously cool teens appeared less competent - socially and otherwise - than their less cool peers by the time they reached young adulthood."

On the flipside, says author Alexandra Robbins, the so-called "geeks" are prized in adulthood for being different.

"In high school, popularity is more important than anywhere else, but popularity is not a measure of likability," she explained. "Popularity is composed of three elements: visibility, recognizability and influence. The people in school who have those three qualities are often that way because they conform to a standard.

"Meanwhile, the kids who won't or can't conform are the ones who are left out. Nonconformity is a wonderful trait, and it's going to be valued in adulthood. If you're different in school, that makes you an outsider. If you're different as an adult, that makes you interesting, fun and often successful."

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Ergo, it seems Darwinism has a hand in how your life will play out later - so be kind to the geeks, they'll probably be your boss in 10 years.