Popularity

Take a look around. A good look around. Look around to find them, because you will. Somewhere, in every school there is always that group. The boys that hang out with those girls, and those girls that hang out with those boys. But not just any boys and girls. The boys and girls that deem themselves higher than all else. The girls with layered makeup, and the boys puffing out their chest. Boys hitting one another and girls giggling foolishly. Because they will be there. This is the social segregation. The popularity division.

The usual commotion began as everyone came down to lunch. Everyone went to their normal places ny for one boy who stood, playing around the long table in the centre of the cafe. A Group of boys walked by looking at this mere ‘peasant’ in their eyes. Laughing loudly they gave him a look of disgust, and walked off.

After research, interesting facts have been revealed that only 2 in 10 people seem to deem themselves popular. That means 80% of grade 8 students, deem themselves as being cool and interesting. This has illustrated alarming information on children today, as self esteem between both boys and girls has dropped dramatically. ‘Hanging out in the Plaza’, A source wishing to remain anonymous tells us, ‘as well as being cool and being in a big group’, ‘caring more about just your friends and peoples opinions about you than anything else’, This evidence here is significant because of what society themselves have deemed ‘popular kids’. This not only tells us about people who themselves don’t hang out of the plaza and how they think of themselves as kids who aren’t that cool or even ‘outcasts’. This however is a stupid analogy of how someone ‘who hangs out in the plaza’ or ‘is always is in a big group’ is somehow know to everyone else as a popular kid.

Interesting facts can now be revealed about self confidence in boys. In a recent survey only 3 in 10 boys are happy with the image that they think that they present, an interesting coralition to the fact that only 5 in 10 boys seem confident around the other gender. It seems as times have changed that long gone are just female insecurities.

You might be interesting to know about another fact, which unearthed interesting information about the amount of time boys spend in front of a mirror each morning. 2 Minutes? 5 Minutes? 10 minutes turned out to be the average time spent in front of a mirror, that might not seem like a lot but times that by 7. 70 Minutes each week spent in front of a mirror just staring at themselves unconsciously ‘fixing’ themselves.

Social pressure is also a sad thing that relates to how people change. There is always that pressure that is put on you by others, A pressure that grow’s and grow’s varying with the matter. Like a disease, It spreads engulfing you in the need to do what you have been pressured into.

A great example of this pressure is asking someone out. You yourself might not really want to, but remember? It’s not what we want anymore. Its what they want. Its not really like you have a choice either, to be perfectly honest. You do and everyones happy, however if you back down you're looked down upon, and your ‘levels’ just drop like the NASDAQ.

In all schools around the world there is always a divide. A segregation between many similar to Apartheid that divides between different people who deem themselves more popular than others. First lets talk about the word, What does Popular even mean? The dictionary defines it as people who are admired by many people or a particular group. But why? Why does this mean you are different from others? Being deemed popular or trying to get to that stage changes so much about who you really are, From where you hang out to your dress sense, to how do you things just regularly. You become a different person under the influence of this social pressure.
Not only does it change your physical self but it undermines your personality and who YOU truly are. Its not about what you want anymore or what you do. Its about what the people want.

Amongst other things, one of the things that ‘Popularity’ does change is what society deems you should be good at. Passions now should be something masculine, cool rather than something that you enjoy. An unconfirmed source tells us ‘Something that I am really passionate about is Dance. But I have been bullied about this in the past. Its not good enough, its Macho. Its not what everyone else wants to see. I tried to get into something else, Football, Rugby, Tennis. None of them I really enjoyed, It was Dance that was my passion.

These people get bullied over nothing. They get bullied over fitting into society.
Those football players, those rugby Jocks, those kids are the cool ones. Making the team, well that justs your levels rocketing like product shares of apple when the first iPhone came out.

If there is one thing that you do after reading this, is just be prepared, be wary that their are all these different people in the world out there. Be prepared to accept that you might not be one of them and you don’t necessarily need to try to be one of them. It might sound old, ‘Be Yourself’, But that is the best advice you can get. Don’t change yourself for others. These people might not necessarily be bad, but what they do do is create an influenza in society, where everyone is engulfed in this need to become great.

Obese vs The World

25 stone British mother of two Christina Briggs has described her alarming story to reporters yesterday. Briggs accused her obese situation as the result of her lack of wealth, claiming that she is fat because she ‘cannot afford organic food and gym membership’. Instead, the unemployed Brit, living on benefits, suggested that the government should fund her quest to lose weight as she cannot afford to eat her favorite takeouts while paying for health classes and activities.

Rather than a cause for concern, this horrific new statement is being met by the public with an unexpected sense of compassion. A recent survey conducted by a reporter measures the upcoming generation, middle school student’s opinions of the upcoming widespread issue that is obesity. Astonishingly, rather than anger, the results of the survey revealed that many students feel remorseful towards the situation, with no less than 100% of participants stating that they felt that society judges the obese and makes them feel unwelcome.

After much research, the unfortunate fact was that one cannot change the economic growth of fast food chains around the world, but what they can dig deeper into is the word society thrown into the statement of obesity. Is society judging Briggs what fuels her ignorance, or is it what she believes of herself and what she deserves? Maybe our next candidate will change your opinion:

Our reporters embarked on another survey, based on the mixed public reactions to British burlesque dancer Charlene Taylor. The ‘claimed to be’ size 16 dancer told reporters of her campaign to inspire fellow obese women to take on her seductive occupation, with the belief that you don't need to be skinny to be attractive. Some felt enthralled by her bewitchment of the ritual that is skinny people playing seductive roles like burlesque dancers, while others were disgusted by Taylor‘s more anti seductive approach, with 60% stating that being unhealthy is not at all attractive.

Which is more attractive, skinny or obese people? It is now becoming a stereotype to see people accusing companies of using stick thin models, and encouraging the ‘coat hanger’ body shape. But being obese is just as unhealthy as eating a peanut everyday. Is shovelling twinkies into your mouth everyday really what society wants attractive to be? The reason why it is so difficult to pick one is simply because the answer is neither. In the 1950s, when the idea of pop culture and seductive women began to intertwine, the idea of a perfect woman was not someone who felt comfortable in their own skin, it was someone who was healthy, curvy and attractive. As a private psychologist quoted to our reporters, ‘people often mix up the definition of seductive and beautiful. The definition of sexy is a stereotype that will always be there, but the definition of beautiful is spontaneous beyond belief. Being beautiful is being charismatic and genuinely comfortable with how you look, regardless of your weight. That is what being comfortable in your skin really means. But being healthy comes first.’

For all the obese people out there, this article is not going to bring you down. It is meant to inspire you to make that difference. In 2050, 50% of Americans will be obese. Every person counts to that statistic. If society starts to accept obese people thinking they are fine the way they are, nothing will change. What happens when it’s 75%? 80%? Do we really want to be that world that gave into the second chicken nugget? We cannot all be rich and sexy, but we can all be beautiful, and that should be something the obese, including Taylor and Briggs strive towards to make this world a better, healthier place. If they really want to be those things, they will be accepted no matter what if they chucked out their twinkies and hit the treadmill, as will the other 2.1 billion people, nearly 30% of the world, will want to strive towards. You can be beautiful and not be skinny, but you can be healthier and happier. Research indicates that 20% more people are happier being healthy than wealthy. So make those changes today, do what you want to do, be who you want to be, but remember, the only goal that society will ever have, whether it’s 2014 or 2050, everyone has the right to be beautiful and happy, and that’s what it takes for society and the obese to truly comprise.