Is there a difference between being cool and being popular?

[mselly13]

Inspired by another thread about the 4th grade girl trying to be cool.

I noticed last year at the high school level that the most popular kids were the ones that were involved in sports.
The homecoming queen was Varsity cheerleader and basketball player. All the others on her court were volleyball and basketball...some track in there too.

Same things with the guys. Football and basketball and track.

And one sport wasn't enough. All these kids were involved in multiple sports.

So what's the difference between just being cool and being popular?

 

[sdarwkcabemanmy]

I've never figured out the difference, tbh.

When I was in HS, the popular kids WERE the cool kids--football players, rodeo team members, cheerleaders and drill team. They were usually the ones with the most money, so they always wore the hottest trends/styles, etc.

I've never been cool and now that I"m turning 30 I realize I don't give a flying fart. I am comfortable with myself and the way I look and I don't care about trends or having a cool style. I have my own style--somewhere between surburban mom and aging goth tomboy.

 

[dreamer17555]

There is a difference but it doesn't seem to really matter.

Generally popular kids are outgoing and therefore into extras like sports or being in the school play, or ABS, or talent show. Well liked kids easily gather friends and followers are popular and being nice is always cool. Its easier to have a lot of friends if you are in a lot of stuff.

Then there are girls mostly who are ''cool" they are mean and evil. They cut other girls down and everyone hates them but is nice to their face because they are afraid of them.

So yes there is a difference but you can be both cool and popular...-Becca-

 

[sdarwkcabemanmy]

Generally popular kids are outgoing

I agree. DS was fairly popular last year and he's usually pretty outgoing. He's not afraid to talk to anybody. I would walk him in to the cafeteria each morning and when we walked down the main hall, everybody was like "Hi Superguy! How ya doin?". Usually one or two little girls would want to hold DS's hand or a boy would want to hug him.

I looked at the class list for his class this year. Most of the kids in his class this year are girls...he'll probably have them all wrapped around his little finger within a week. Last year, when I would ask him about his day he would tell me what he did with this girl or that girl and on the DVD his teacher made for the end of the year, there was always a girl around DS in all the pictures he was in.

I can't believe it..my son is a preschool chick magnet.

 

[kellyg403]

Again...I agree with Becca. As the mom of 3 hs girls, all with different personalities, I can see it. Being cool and popular are two different things. I have 2 girls involved with alot of things and have a few special friends but not homecoming queens. I have another who hangs around with "cool" and "popular" kids who are and oddly enough don't really seem to be kind kids.

But then last year I asked the girls how they do the homecoming court nowadays in school and in their school you put your name on the ballet and ask people to vote for you. It didn't seem to be a "popularity" thing just someone who put their name on the ballot. Yes, she was in the popular cool crowd but she actually is a pretty nice girl when interacting with adults.

Kelly

 

[kimmar067]

....you don't have to be popular to be cool, but you have to be cool to be popular....

 

[Mickeyistheman]

I would rather have been Cool then Popular.

Popular Girls = Evil Girls

Cool Girls = Cool Girls

We should be teaching the young woman to be cool rather than popular. Not everyone likes the popular girls but everyone wants to or look up to the cool girls.

I had many cool girls as friends they weren't popular and didn't wear all the new fashions but everyone knew who they were and liked them because they were themselves.

 

[dreamer17555]

I would rather have been Cool then Popular.

Popular Girls = Evil Girls

Cool Girls = Cool Girls

We should be teaching the young woman to be cool rather than popular. Not everyone likes the popular girls but everyone wants to or look up to the cool girls.

I had many cool girls as friends they weren't popular and didn't wear all the new fashions but everyone knew who they were and liked them because they were themselves.

See but I think you have it backwards if everyone liked them then they are popular. That is what being popular is about, everyone liking you. The cool girls are the ones who have to tan, have the newest car, and best clothes.

-Becca-

 

[kimmar067]

See but I think you have it backwards if everyone liked them then they are popular. That is what being popular is about, everyone liking you. The cool girls are the ones who have to tan, have the newest car, and best clothes.

....to ME, a 'cool' girl is one who 'walks to the beat of a different drum' and isn't afraid to be an ORIGINAL...

 

[chip 'n dale rule]

If you're cool you don't care if you're popular.

 

[kimmar067]

If you're cool you don't care if you're popular.

...EXACTLY, and that's what makes you popular....

 

[Mickeyistheman]

No, not from where I am from (New Jersey)

The Popular girls are the ones that tan and have new cars and expensive things are mean and nasty.

My sister who just graduated Highschool was cool, she had a million friends and was involved in Cheering, Chorus and the Play. She also was very smart and involved with the Student Government.

I knew who the "popular" girls were and they were self proclaimed you just knew they were the popular ones. They were mean and evil and my sister was friends with them, but after she saw how the treated others she didn't want to be part of that crowd.

Here if you are popular who have to be a cheerleader and go out with a football player. You also have to have a major attitude and can only speak to certain people. That is ridiculous and yeah those girls might be popular but by default. They didn't have many friends and girls were afraid of them. That to me is crazy because when they get into the real world they hopefully will have a wake up call.

Like I said I'd rather be cool than popular.

 

[dreamer17555]

If you're cool you don't care if you're popular.

This is true but then again if you really are well liked and popular you don't care- you just are.

-Becca-

 

[kimmar067]

No, not from where I am from (New Jersey)

The Popular girls are the ones that tan and have new cars and expensive things are mean and nasty.

My sister who just graduated Highschool was cool, she had a million friends and was involved in Cheering, Chorus and the Play. She also was very smart and involved with the Student Government.

I knew who the "popular" girls were and they were self proclaimed you just knew they were the popular ones. They were mean and evil and my sister was friends with them, but after she saw how the treated others she didn't want to be part of that crowd.

Here if you are popular who have to be a cheerleader and go out with a football player. You also have to have a major attitude and can only speak to certain people. That is ridiculous and yeah those girls might be popular but by default. They didn't have many friends and girls were afraid of them. That to me is crazy because when they get into the real world they hopefully will have a wake up call.

Like I said I'd rather be cool than popular.

...so I guess they aren't very cool....

 

[pr surfer]

"Cool" is relative to the social circles a person surrounds themselves with, "Popular" is not.

 

[Barbossa]

"Cool" is always in the eye of the beholder. I remember the guy voted Most Cool in my Jr. High was probably the most screwed up kid in school: Broken family, neglected by his dad, drugs etc. I've always defined cool as a "nice" and "respectful". Unfortunately, this doesn't always mean you're popular!

 

[imabrat]

Cool = likeable, has great friends, people like to be around you.
Popular = rich, some kind of athlete (usually cheerleaders), everybody knows who you are.

At least in my high school anyway. You can be cool and popular, but you're not popular unless you fit that description to a T.

 

[disykat]

I have one of each and don't consider them the same at all. My 15 year old is a studious band geek, really not "cool" at all, but is what I would define as popular. He has a large group of friends and is quite social. Most people in his school know who he is. My 13 year old is considered cool, but IMO is not as "popular" as his older brother. He tends to have just a few friends and is quieter and more of a loner. He may be seen as the cute guy whose name they can't remember.

Wow - I just read the last two posts and realize I define cool and popular totally differently than they do. To me cool = cute, fits into current culture and interests, etc. while popular means well liked.

 

[rentayenta]

I have one of each. My middle DD is just plain cool like her dad and my oldest DD is popular. I think cool folks have a greater sense of self and self-esteem but I could be dead wrong.

 

[Tink888]

I have one of each. My middle DD is just plain cool like her dad and my oldest DD is popular. I think cool folks have a greater sense of self and self-esteem but I could be dead wrong.

ITA