Cool at 13, Adrift at 23 | New York Times | June 2014
A study finds that after early adolescence the social status of socially precocious teenagers often plummeted.
“At 13, they were viewed by classmates with envy, admiration and not a little awe. The girls wore makeup, had boyfriends and went to parties held by older students. The boys boasted about sneaking beers on a Saturday night and swiping condoms from the local convenience store.
"They were cool. They were good-looking. They were so not you.
"Whatever happened to them? …
"Now in their early 20s, many of them have had difficulties with intimate relationships, alcohol and marijuana, and even criminal activity.”