The risks of being a cool kid
ListenGuests: Bradford Brown, Mitchell Prinstein
We’ve all seen it at our high school reunion – ten or twenty years out, the once popular kids often are often not doing so well in life. A study published last month supports this anecdotal evidence. Researchers followed 13-year-olds from middle school on and found that “cool kids” were more likely to have drug, alcohol and relationship problems by their early 20s. This hour, we take a look at teens, peer relationships and school status and why being popular puts some kids at risk. Marty talks with BRADFORD BROWN, Professor of Human Development at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and MITCH PRINSTEIN, Professor of Psychology at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
AP Photo/Eric Gay
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.
Brought to you by Radio Times
Radio Times
WHYY's Radio Times is an engaging and timely call-in program that tackles wide-ranging issues of concern to listeners in the Delaware Valley.
Subscribe for free
‘The Stolen Year: How Covid Changed Children’s Lives’
Education reporter Anya Kamenetz on "The Stolen Year" about how we failed kids during the pandemic and the toll school closures had on their lives.
Air Date: September 9, 2022 10:00 am
Listen 49:15
Losing a grandmother brings questions about grief, and why we feel what we feel
The task, experts said, is figuring out how best to carry on, while still honoring the person who’s no longer with us
4 years ago
Listen 7:02
A year without play: Parents and experts worry about loss of social skills during pandemic
In-person school provided kids with regular, organic social exposure. What happens after a year when that disappeared?
4 years ago
Listen 4:50