I had experiences with popularity in middle school and I have learned about making friends and dealing with popularity.
In this thread I thought it would be nice to have people share their experiences and give advice for how to deal with popularity and making friends, so please share. But here is my advice.
Popularity contest
Don’t focus on being popularity, popularity especially in middle school only has any significance when you attend the school meaning that when you leave no one will care about popularity. After 8th grade nobody cared about middle school popularity so don’t even try to be popular. Popularity fades away. Don’'t always try to be be liked by everybody because everyone is a unique individual so not everyone will like you. Just learn to accept that not everyone will like you. Being popular can even be
Making Friends
It can be hard to make friends during school, when your in school many of the friends you make might just be because you have to see them everyday when your going to school. It is important to try to make friends with people who have similar interests with you because if you do you will actually have something to talk about with them. Also make sure to make friends with people who actually like you for who you are because having fake friends can be just a waste of time. Being popular is also a thing that can negatively affect your relationships with friends. When your popular you tend to be friends with people because they are “cool”, don’t do that because many of times the people at the end of the day may end up talking behind your back and not being your true friends. That can also mean that when your popular you make not have true relationships with people. Joining clubs that you are interested in, joining activities you like, and trying new things can always be a way to make new friends because meeting people who are interesting to you can be one of the best ways to make friends. When socializing remember don’t be afraid. Make sure to talk to people who look like interesting people even if it may seem random and crazy. Humans tend to overreact with about half of the things they do, and also until they actually do it they will stop overreacting. Make sure to just put yourself out there and socialize with people unless they seem sketchy, because you would end up regretting not talking to them, plus whats the worst that could happen.
Also don’t be sad if your friends go away, because people have different paths in life and that is perfectly fine. Make sure to cut off people if they are a negative influence towards you because toxic friends negatively affect you from growing as a person.
The way that you develop the relationship with friends is you have simple interactions, which can turn into being an acquaintance, then hang out with people and talk more to each other. Ask for contact info to keep in touch.
Also if you struggle in class its nice to ask people for contact info in order to become a study buddy or if you struggle with the subject. Make sure the person is good at that particular subject. Just ask for the info and don’t be scared.
Just make sure to socialize with people who have similar interests as you and be friends with people who like you for who you are .
Other Resources
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-New-Friends-in-High-School
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/growing-friendships/201312/popular-kids