How Unpopular Adolescents Become Popular Teens

There is at least one point in every individual's lifetime when they feel self-conscious and inadequate. For some, this time lasts longer than it does for others, especially in the midst of adolescence.

In 1993, David A. Kinney (1993), a scholar with a Sociology Ph. D. from the University of Chicago, conducted a study on unpopular teenagers who struggled through middle school, but gained self-confidence and a different perception of life in high school. Kinney's (1993) article, From Nerds to Normals: The Recovery of Identity among Adolescents from Middle School to High School, examines the lives of different teenagers who were known as unpopular "nerds" in middle school and their ability to prevail against this discrediting title (p. 21).

The issue present is an ongoing discussion of how and why identities are formed. Rather than argue the works of others, Kinney (1993) uses his findings to add on to their studies. He pulls the results of other researchers into his article, comparing his newfound knowledge with theirs. There are two central points that can be found within this piece of writing. In describing the way adolescents begin mingling in and journeying towards becoming "normal", Kinney (1993) presents two paths. The first is focused on adopting the same actions and image of the more popular students, while the second involves freeing oneself from the general expectations of others and simply becoming comfortable in one's own shoes. In presenting his data, the author makes his thesis clear as he discusses his own views on the subject. His belief is that those students who were not as popular in middle school but became more involved in the multitude of activities in high school ended up regaining confidence and reinstating themselves as "normal" in the realms of a shifting school social pattern (Kinney, 1993, p. 21).

I agree with Kinney (1993) that high school offers more opportunity to fit in and associate with others. However I believe that middle school offers plenty of extracurricular activities, and each individual has the opportunity to become either involved or separated from others, a choice which could expose him or her to popularity or to earning a title of "outcast".

This essay makes several different points, one of which focuses on the students views of middle school being divided into two basic categories: the unpopular "nerds" and the popular "jocks and preppies" (Kinney, 1993, p. 25-26). Although I can acknowledge the fact that middle school students do break off in cliques based on activities they're involved in, I don't feel that there was such a deep division in my middle school. Throughout my middle school career, I was involved in extracurricular activities, so I was always part of some kind of group of students. I was an athlete, and participated in softball and soccer, so that's where I made many of my best friends, but I was also a member of the band, where I made several good friends as well. Some of these students were the same, and some were different, but I was able to fit in with all of them.

Another aspect that I strived in was academics. I made excellent grades, but I was never picked on for this. I think that is due to the mixture of groups I was involved in, and my variety of friends. In this way, I feel like I was diverse because some people seem to think that the people in band, as well as the smart kids are geeks and the athletes are jocks, or preps. I don't think that there was such a strict line though, because I sat on the fence between the two groups, befriending those who participated only in academic activities, as well as those who excelled in athletics.

Beyond the so called division of "nerds" and "normals" in middle school is the level of secondary education known as high school. Kinney's (1993) findings show that the passage to high school comes with an increase in the amount of students and groups available, as well as diversity that knocks down the former hierarchy into a more even social structure (p. 35). This is true from my experience as well. While I was involved in many activities during middle school, high school offered an even greater variety. It seemed that there was something for everyone, from the increase in sports teams, to the extreme amount of clubs, to yearbook staff and quill and scroll, among other things. If someone wasn't able to get involved in middle school, they should definitely be able to find a place somewhere in high school. The social structure changed as well, as there was an addition to the groups "nerds" and "jocks or preps" of "skaters", "gothic kids", and others formed by random students. This increase in groups took away some of the notoriety of the more popular kids, making room for others to gain self-confidence and compete for recognition and social status.

Directly related to this increase in groups is the fact that nerds who may have struggled with social life in middle school saw the transition to high school as a positive one, with more opportunities. Kinney (1993) found that along with this came a decrease in the longing to be popular as students settled into a comfortable group of friends (p. 28). I agree somewhat, but I also disagree because I feel that middle school is what each individual makes it, and I don't think there is as much of a change as these students are making it out to be. My friends from middle school were the same people that I grew closer to and developed stronger bonds with in high school. As I ventured into high school I did become more involved in clubs and other athletics, such as volleyball, but I didn't feel that my transition changed who I was. I chose to make the best of middle school when I had the opportunity.

I was never the best looking or the most athletic, in fact I was more on the geeky side, being the first chair trumpet in band, and delivering straight A's through most of middle school. However, I branched out and explored activities such as sports that I loved and simple clubs such as a bible study group, where I was able to meet other students and form deep friendships. Because of this, I don't really agree that middle school doesn't offer enough activities. I feel like this step in the educational process is crucial to building or knocking down each individual's self-perception, and they have to branch out in order to gain acceptance, or else they will fall into that category of "unpopulars" or "nerds".

Kinney (1993) found another interesting pathway that some nerds chose once they reached high school. This was the way of rejecting the views of others, such as the more popular students, and developing confidence through believing in oneself and choosing not to care what others thought (p.32). This was the case for one of my friends who I have known since elementary school. He was a young man who was very smart in middle school and was picked on greatly. He was really not that different from anyone else, but he did receive the label of "geek" in middle school. He still hung out with the popular kids on some occasions though, and could fit in with them, but he lacked self confidence because he was not as good looking or athletic as other guys in the class. Once we went to high school, this guy began growing more confident, and then he transferred to the school of science and math. He happens to attend N.C. State now, and I saw him on campus recently. He is still very smart, and he will probably always come across as somewhat of a "geek", but he is completely sure of himself now, and is a good example of someone who didn't need others to make himself fit in. He did it on his own and somewhere along the way must have realized that he is a great guy who is smart and gifted academically, and that's something to be proud about, not ashamed of.

Kinney's (1993) study found that while some adolescents may have been known as unpopular nerds to the different students in middle school, they were able to become more self-confident in high school while attaining the status of "normal" (p. 21). I agree that high school offers vast opportunities to join groups and fit in, but I believe that middle school also offers a good variety, and each person makes his or her own choices about what activities to participate in. I think that Kinney's (1993) theory is a good one because he proves through interviews and watching students interact that self-confidence is gained for many "nerds" as they reach high school, by either joining groups or branching out to become comfortable in their own skin.

I do find this theory lacking somewhat, though, because my experience was that opportunities are available in middle school and kids do not have to automatically become geeks. I personally was able to connect with several different crowds in middle school, and while some may have seen me as a prep, and some took me as a geek, I had a positive self perception and was able to sit on the fence between the two groups. I think that Kinney (1993) could delve further into this subject matter, and find those students like me who were neither "nerds" nor "normals." They could give him better insight into the truth about social status and adolescence, and allow him to produce findings which would confirm the fact that each individual chooses his or her own path. Some may lack the self-confidence to even pursue activities in middle school, while others strive to be successful, and form friendships because they have reached out to gain acceptance.