Mitch Prinstein, a popular author and expert on the dynamics of popularity, dives into how popularity shapes our lives from childhood to adulthood. He discusses the biological and psychological ramifications of social acceptance and the impact of social media on our desire for status. Prinstein reveals how physical attractiveness influences popularity and the detrimental effects of seeking status. He offers insights on navigating social connections in the digital age and emphasizes the importance of genuine relationships over fleeting popularity.

Mitch Prinstein, an expert in adolescent development, discusses the impact of social media on kids' brains, highlighting benefits like connection and activism alongside negatives such as depression and addiction. The podcast explores the challenges parents face in setting limits on smartphone use, the proposal for warning labels on social media platforms, and the importance of understanding harmful content. It also delves into the impact on youth mental health and efforts to enhance safety measures for children online.

Mitch Prinstein, Ph.D. is board certified in clinical child and adolescent psychology, and serves as the John Van Seters Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, and the Director of Clinical Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He and his research have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, the LA Times, CNN, U.S. News & World Report, TIME magazine, New York magazine, Newsweek, and elsewhere. In his latest book Popular: The Power of Likeability in A Status-Obsessed World, Prinstein examines how our popularity affects our success, our relationships, and our happiness—and why we don’t always want to be the most popular. In our conversation we cover this and more, with key themes being: Why seeking popularity is actually a basic human need, Why it's not always the "conventionally popular" people who fare best, and how this relates to the (2) different strategies for achieving popularity: Likeability Status How studies can help explain both the basic human needs Facebook serves, and the more general status-seeking phenomenon on social media, What it means to induce a "Popularity Boomerang", and how becoming aware of it can fundamentally change the environment you exist in, How your early experiences of popularity (or lack thereof) are probably helping or hindering how you show up in the world today, and if hindering, how you can overcome its effects, Why it's more important the raise likeable kids than you might think, and the parenting implications of popularity research, The likeability advantage. We hope this conversation gives you some insights about popularity that will help you achieve your social, personal, and professional goals. Enjoy! Links: Popular: The Power of Likeability in A Status-Obsessed World is out now https://www.amazon.com/Popular-Power-Likability-Status-Obsessed-World/dp/0399563733/ Read an overview of the book and to take the Popularity Quiz http://www.mitchprinstein.com/books/popular-book/ Follow Mitch on Twitter @mitchprinstein https://twitter.com/mitchprinstein For more information on Mitch or his research visit http://www.mitchprinstein.com/ Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.