New York: Teenagers who tried to act "cool" in early adolescence are more likely to experience a range of problems in early adulthood than their peers who did not act "cool", a decade-long study shows.
While "cool" teenagers are often idolised among friends, seeking popularity and attention by trying to act older than one's age may not yield the expected benefits.
"It appears that while the so-called 'cool' teenagers' behaviour might have been linked to early popularity, over time, these teenagers needed more and more extreme behaviour to try to appear cool," explained Joseph P. Allen, professor of psychology at University of Virginia.
They became involved in more serious criminal behaviour and alcohol and drug use as adolescence progressed.
