We have some very good news for all the freaks, geeks and all-round bloody legends from high school.
If you were the kind of teenager who chose movie nights with your best friends over big parties with the popular kids, you’re probably better off in the long run.
A new study published in the journal Child Development, has found that close friendships, rather than popularity, is what mattered most overtime.
“Youth with higher levels of attachment to their best friends appear to have better psychological health, psychosocial adjustment, and even a more adaptive stress response during adolescence,” the study authors said.
“In general, adolescents with high-quality close friendships report higher rates of overall happiness than those without.”
The researchers from the University of Virginia studied a group of 169 high school students over a decade. The group was made up of students from diverse racial and economic backgrounds, and the researchers studied them from the age of 15 right through to 25.
The individuals in the group were regularly asked questions about their own self-worth, social anxiety, social acceptance and symptoms of depression.
The students were also asked to identify their best friend, and their bestie was interviewed so the researchers could assess the strength of their friendship.
The study found the students who were more concerned with maintaining their friendships with their BFFs, rather than climbing up the social ladder, had better mental health in the long run.
While the students who were more interested in social status and short-term popularity struggled more with their mental health and self-worth as they entered adulthood.
So, basically, all those lunchtimes you spent huddled with your best mates, swapping Le Snaks and talking about Dawson’s Creek, were worth it.
LISTEN: Liz Gilbert’s four questions to ask before trusting someone.
Top Comments
I was in a group of 12 at high school. Daughter is in a group of 18.