268 - The Status Game - Will Storr (rebroadcast)
You Are Not So Smart
The Influence of Status Games on Teenagers
During adolescence, our brains undergo changes that make us more conscious of other people's opinions and care deeply about our reputation within our peer group. This leads to a combination of risk-taking and intense embarrassment. Teenagers flock to peer groups in order to engage in status games and form social groups. They drive too fast and take crazy risks to gain status from their peers, but are also easily embarrassed because their brains are highly sensitive to these new status games. Despite thinking of themselves as individuals, they actually become clones of their social group. This shift from simplistic games of family and youth to adult status games marks the transition into adulthood.
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