Hollywood loves to glorify the idea of high school popularity tied in with negative connotations such as bullying.

We make it idealistic to live a fantasy life like Regina George from “Mean Girls,” having people view you as popular. We’ve all lived through the meaner and kinder interactions in our lives as students, and it has become ideal to Hollywood to portray popularity as being mean or  crucial to high school societies, as many will students follow. And it seems that this concept of popularity has become a coveted phenomenon in high schools everywhere.

I have learned throughout my time in high school that those who deem themselves as Regina George types use their popularity as a highly destructive weapon to the community of students around them.

This movie, and others like it, influence students to believe that it is normal, right and even cool to act like these characters, tearing each other down to the core, hence the name “Mean Girls.”

High school kids can build each other up and tear each other apart so easily, which is also shown throughout the movie. One insult or negative comment can affect a person more than you know.

Students can become very mentally unstable and self-conscious by those who use their popularity to be mean and exclude and hurt others. Why go out of your way to make someone feel bad about themselves? What’s the point?

A majority of teenagers also experience an intense need for belonging, which makes them cling and crave to the idea of being “popular” and being liked.

We can ask ourselves, “Why do we degrade ourselves and others through our words?” The answer I think always comes back the same: to hide our insecurities, to boost our egos.

What if popular kids used their popularity for good? Not all popular kids are mean, but the majority should make an effort on a daily basis to be kind to others, not only to improve their own self esteem, but the esteem and happiness of other through their high school experience.

There are nice “mean girls.” These are the students that are popular for being kind and respectful, but unfortunately it’s more common for the “mean girls,” and guys, to be truly mean.

I believe kindness and respect are what we should look for when finding values in somebody popular. We shouldn’t value how much money they have, or how many people they surround themselves with; none of those things will make a person respectable or inherently make someone a good friend.

These kinds of kids who are friendly and respectful to others will help encourage others to be kind to, or at least respectful of, others. If we can start valuing the important qualities in people over materialistic ones, our school will be a better place.

Think about how you feel when someone gives you a compliment. It makes you feel good, like you belong and someone values you.  This is the positive effect positive popularity, or simply just kindness, could have on students.

So take a couple seconds out of your day, make someone feel like they belong, especially those of you who perhaps are considered popular, or value as someone to follow. Once you start acting kind to one person, just one person, it makes a difference.