The In Crowd

An omnipresent social class in environments known for high levels of immaturity, such as middle school and high school. To be part of this elite group, you must be "cool", popular, up-to-date with the latest fashions, and of course, cute (that word applies to both sexes). You must also conform to their social norm.

In my experience, members of this group are easily identified. Male members of this group tend to be jocks or the people extremely conscious of the current trend. Female members of this group are generally good-looking, gregarious and flirty. Also, to be a member of this social class, you must "hang out" with your "friends" and act "cool" a lot.

These people tend to be very shallow in judgement of other people. Most of them are popularity hounds and will stop at nothing to increase their levels of popularity. Social acceptance is of the utmost importance to these people. They also tend to be very easily affected by peer pressure. This social class is the group most responsible for the phenomenon middle school and high school social oppression.

As one passes high school and go on to college, this social class almost ceases to exist. Isn't that strange?

Heh heh. The in-crowd at college is the fucking loser crowd. These are the people who were the kings of their respective high schools, and then came to college. But the problem is, most of them don't realize that not only are they not all that... they're not even the bag of chips either. Their pedestrian brains can't fathom not being at the top of the social totem pole, so they repress. They find other people who think that they, too rule the school, and they reminisce about high school escapades, make fun on people wearing their backpack on both shoulders (which is everyone), and then drop out mid-march and go to work for their uncle.

Then again, I went to a school (Boston College) without that pathetic, asinine archaic Greek system, so maybe things are different where they pledge.

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FatAlbertΘ: I didn't vehemently detest them for who they were. In fact, there were only two or three people in my high school who I really despised. But then again, my high school wasn't exactly normal - there really wasn't an "in-crowd". There were so many overlapping groups, it was very rare that you didn't talk to any one particular person in the school for any more more than a month. Cheerleaders and football players were in AP classes. Geeks played sports. The burn-outs were in the band and the school play. Anyone that chose to be social was accepted... except by a small few. And those small few are the "in-crowd" I'm talking about.

If anything, they amuse me. Tell me you didn't walk around Boston College laughing inside at how pathetic these people were? Like the kid that still wore his varsity wrestling jacket up until senior year? That was just funny.

But the irony is that you all seem to vehemently detest them for being the way they were. You all probably exhibited frustration and angst at these people. There could be a number of reasons, the foremost being that you wanted to be "in" with them as well. Perhaps not by doing the things they did, but you wanted to be recognized as someone who is also cool in your own right.

Maybe this drive to be recognized caused you to pick up a bunch of cool hobbies, or strive for academic excellence. Maybe it became a driving force behind motivating you to do the things that got you where you are today.

Many of the people in the "in" crowd when I was in high school are still where I left them some 8 years ago. Some of them have kids and are married to each other. Some of them have little companies that they started while attending night school to get their MBA. Some of them are still living with their parents.

In general, though, the good times in their lives peaked in high school.

You shouldn't hate them or continue to exhibit frustration. Don't be bitter. In some ways, you should be happy that maybe your life won't peak in high school, but continue to have ups and downs for a long time. And remember that if they weren't who they were in high school, then you wouldn't be who you are now. It's not some ying-yang thing--you should recognize that their actions directly affected you and made you who you are today.

Personally, I feel bad for a lot of them. Their parents pushed them into football and cheerleading and such activities and impressed upon them the need to be popular and liked. Possibly continuing the cycle.