If so, you probably should be worried. A new study led by psychology professor Joseph Allen at the University of Virginia followed cool kids for a decade. In short, these “pseudomature” kids didn’t turn out okay according to Dr. Allen. Not only did their social status take a nose dive but they started struggling in even more serious ways. When they reached their early 20s many of them were struggling in romantic relationships and had problems with alcohol, marijuana and even criminal activity. They had a 40% greater rate of substance abuse and a 22% greater rate of criminal behavior ten years later. As these kids were caught up in middle school drama and chasing cool they were missing a critically important development period that comes from simply fostering same-sex friendships by just hanging out together on a friday night having pizza, ice cream and watching moves. To be a genuinely mature early adolescent means being hard working, responsible and a good, loyal, supportive friend. As parents we can reinforce these characteristics and qualities and instill confidence in them so our kids can withstand the pressure to be too cool, too fast.
