Monday, January 30, 2012
A new semester and new ideas to discuss
After our conversation in class last week about "cool" and teen marketing, I found myself wondering about the extent to which "cool" governs development for tweens and teens. What makes "cool" so important and can the current trend override a teenager's ability to follow his/her own conscience? Do you have any examples of such influence?
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Hey everyone this is josh from class and I'm a first time blogger so go easy on me. It is my personal belief that "cool" definitely plays a major role in the development of teenagers. I believe that it is only natural for an adolescent to try to fit in and become "cool" to their peers. This may vary from person to person, but based on my experience I know that I have always held the desire to stay "cool" to my friends and that "cool" has always provided me with a sense of self comfort. Also I have seen many others deviate from their own comfort zone/conscience in the attempt to fit in and be "cool" via drugs/alcohol. However in "American Teen" I did notice that Jake (the band kid) didn't necessarily seem to hold this same desire. Was this because he didn't want to be cool or had he given up any attempt to become so due to lack of self confidence? Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteJosh, I think you make a valid point when you state that "cool" definitely plays an important part in teenage development. Furthermore, I agree with your statement that "cool" varies from person to person. As I stated in our last class, I believe that "cool" is an ambivalent term - what is cool to one person may not be cool to another. While some teens may regard success in a sport as cool, others may regard academic prowess as cool. That being said, I believe that a sense of being "cool" provides a teenager with an identity in society. All humans strive to find a place at the top of society. The satisfaction of being cool effectively helps satisfy this desire.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your question about Jake, I disagree with your belief that he did not exemplify a desire to fit into a clique. Throughout the movie, I believe he showed a desire to find a place of belonging. An effective example is his desire to find a prom date, and the fact that he was willing to take a girl from a distant city to his prom. The senior prom is an experience common to majority of teenagers. That being said, Jake's efforts to find a prom date demonstrate his desire to share in this experience. While Jake may have not belonged to a specific clique, he certainly demonstrated a desire to find common ground with other teenagers.
http://web.ebscohost.com.libproxy.temple.edu/ehost/detail?sid=db719dbc-9713-4164-853d-a31ef9da38ad%40sessionmgr12&vid=1&hid=25&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=pbh&AN=4461905
ReplyDeleteIn class, we discussed a significant amount about the different types of cliques that exist and how these cliques help develop a teen's perception of "cool." Furthermore, we discussed the fact that these cliques prevented students from "crossing boundaries. The above link provides statistical information that refutes such a claim.
This link provides information on a study conducted to see how cliques affected student performance in a high school algebra class. The study surveyed 230 students - both boys and girls ages 13-18. The study quantified student success on a scale of 0-4, with 4 being the highest. Students affiliated with 1 of the 41 cliques defined in the study reported significantly high success than those students not affiliated with a group. Specifically, students in a clique had an average performance score of 2.48, while students not affiliated with a clique averaged 2.15. Such statistical information demonstrates that students can find success in the classroom regardless of their clique affiliation. In fact, being in a clique helps students perform better. With this notion in mind, cliques do not prevent students from crossing boundaries.
This study also provides an effective answer to the question regarding how much "being cool" governs development for teens and tweens. Academic success is not an asset that many younger teens value. However, as teens approach the college application process, the possession of this trait becomes much more valuable. This study demonstrates that being cool does not govern performance in the classroom. In other words, the jocks can be smart, and the band members can struggle academically. Such a demonstration is representative of the fact that cool does not govern how a teenager develops. Megan from American teen demonstrates that cool does not determine a teen's identity. While she is the popular girl at school, she is also talented academically. At no point in the movie does Megan feel pressure from the other popular kids to perform poorly in the classroom.
The pursuit of being cool is a major element in most adolescent's lives, but everyone's definition of "cool" varies. There is of course the mainstream cool of the time that most people identify with, but even people who explicitly say that they don't want to be cool are subconsciously trying to be cool, its just that their definition of cool is against the mainstream. The desire to be cool can be seen as a desire to be the best at something. Being cool is a way of expressing individuality and expressing oneself is a major part of development.
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