Mental Health

Popularity in School May Spell Doomed Adulthood

By Christine Hsu | Update Date: Jun 13, 2014 05:20 PM EDT

Being popular in school is bad for your future, according to researchers.

Researchers found that 'cool' kids are more likely to have relationship and drug problems in adulthood.

The latest study involved 184 teens who were followed for 10 years from the age of 13 to 23.

Researchers also asked participants a to answer questions about their lives including who they thought their close friends were, peers they believed were popular and if they had used drugs or had a romantic relationship.

The answers revealed that girls and boys who "acted old for their age," dated, engaged in rebellious behavior and hung out with attractive people were judged to be the most popular.

However, these 'cool' behaviors were linked with a decline in popularity by age 22. Kids who were deemed 'cool' at age 13 were seen as less capable of maintaining their relationships and friendships. Former 'cool' kids were also more likely to commit crimes and use drugs between the ages of 21 and 23.

Researchers wrote "these seemingly minor behaviors predict far greater future risk than has heretofore been recognized."

The findings were published in the journal Child Development.

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