Imagine the stereotypical popular high schooler. You know, the good looking, often athletic type, that are at the top of the food chain. They’re often homecoming or prom royalty. The popular guys get all the popular girls and it’s hard to enter that circle if you’re on the outside.

Have an image yet?

Likely chance is that you aren’t in that group, as most of us aren’t. Now what separates “them” from the rest of us? Sometimes looks can separate the “in” crowd from the majority. Sometimes athletic ability, wit, or charm can distinguish the popular kids from the rest of us. More often than not, it’s our hobbies that separate the majority from the “in” crowd. The hobbies of the stereotypical popular kids at our school are evident before and after sporting events, especially on the weekends. Our peers at the top of the food chain can be seen slightly out of control watching football games or staring at the basketball court from the first rows of the stands with glazed over, reddened corneas. I’m baffled as to why these things have launched kids from the majority to the “top”, if you will. Why do drinking and smoking equate to popularity?

As I said before, drinking and smoking aren’t necessarily the only ways to be gain popularity amongst your peers. But in regard to athletic ability making someone popular, there are multitudes of gifted athletes at our school who make a name yet choose not to drink or smoke. But, these athletes are often not as notable because they’re straight edges. Many popular kids at our school are notable for having quick wit and vivacious senses of humor. But, I know plenty of kids who will have you in tears and your sides aching but are impeccably left out of the top of the food chain.

Reading this, my personal feelings on drinking and smoking must be evident by now. I don’t drink or smoke, but I don’t think anyone that drinks or smokes, popular or not, is a bad person. Are drinking and smoking wrong in my opinion? Yes. Do they make you a bad person? Of course not.

I admire the kids who pass up smoking and drinking, for multiple reasons. Whether it’s religion, fear of your parents, or general apathy, shying away from smoking or drinking issues are admirable; it’s especially admirable because kids like myself realize what drinking and smoking could bring you. You could escape the majority and be an elite at the top of the food chain. Things could be extremely different all around your life, positively and negatively.

I should point out that drinking or smoking don’t automatically mean popularity amongst your peers. There are some popular kids that choose not to drink or smoke, or at least drink or smoke in small moderation, and are still at the top of the food chain. Also, there certainly are kids who drink or smoke and are not popular for reasons that differ between each possible example. Lastly, I’d care to point out that popular kids don’t necessarily drink or smoke for popularity; needless to say there are most likely kids who do drink or smoke for popularity. However, many people party and continue to do it to remain popular or enter a “higher” social circle.

Almost everyone has at least once had a dream of being the talk of the town at the top of the high school hierarchy.  The kids who realize drinking or smoking could get them popularity and choose not to indulge for the sake of notoriety from their peers are the ones that should be looked up to by the “majority.”