Cliques and Stereotypes in a Media-Influenced World

In today’s society, the cliques we often see in the most popular sitcoms, movies or hear from lines in a song portray different, exaggerated versions of real cliques teenagers come across in school. Unfortunately, more often than not, drugs, alcohol, sex, and obsessive partying are used by the media as a way to represent the “cool group”. So, while "Just Say No" is being constantly thrust upon us by eager counselors or worried parents, some teenagers may still go to that party, open a beer, and get carried away. How can we, as peers, be expected to turn a blind eye to the negatives of this epidemic to be involved with the “in crowd”, when our friends cry to us about drunken exploits they wish they could take back?

Peer pressure is in every clique, even if it slyly disguises itself behind a Facebook comment or unassuming text message. The athletes, for example, traipse through school with their embroidered jackets and bags, but what are they really dealing with besides the stereotypical assumption of a need for more time to enhance their biceps? Their supportive peers are also their biggest competition; constantly critiquing and always watching. Some athletes may even be pressured into trying a form of perfomance-enhancing drugs. And what about the unfairly labeled “geeks” and “nerds” of our schools? We may not fraternize outside our intertwining cliques, but we know who they are. Can we honestly think that they don’t have impossible standards set on them by family and friends? Their friends may put pressure on them by expecting them to make Honor Roll, expecting them to take AP classes. Expectations. The labeled “stoners” are always expected to say yes to smoking that blunt, taking that pill. But why?

Why are we, as children, finding it easier to accept this distorted view of organized social placement and insensitive rejection? Because the media, today’s largest source of information, reminds us of our social standing every day, of our inproportionate, imperfect, average body types, of the expensive things we can not afford. And this will never be put to rest; cliques and stereotypes will continue to run rampant in our society, because it is just human nature.