Advertisement

How popular you were at school ‘dictates how successful you’ll be in life’

Popular teenagers don’t just have fond memories of school – they actually go on to be much more successful in life, a leading psychologist has claimed.

Popular teenagers are more academically successful, richer, and have better relationships – while those lower on the social ladder are more at risk of addiction, obesity and depression.

Author Mitch Prinstein says that our teenage years change the way our brains work – affecting our emotions and how our bodies respond to stress.

MORE: The New York Times has printed every single lie told by Donald Trump since he became president

MORE: Nasa is about to announce that aliens DO exist, says hackers Anonymous

Prinstein says, ‘Even as adults we all still remember exactly where we stood in the high school social hierarchy, and the powerful emotions associated with our status persist decades later.’

Prinstein says in his book Popular: The Power of Likeability in a Status-Obsessed World, ‘In many ways – some even beyond our conscious awareness – those old dynamics of our youth continue to play out in every business meeting, every social gathering, in our personal relationships, and even how we raise our children.

‘Our popularity even affects our DNA, our health, and our mortality in fascinating ways we never previously realised.’