Revenge of the nerds? ‘Cool kids’ may become unhappy adults

If you ever sat at the edge of the cafeteria longing to sit with the cool kids, take heart: You may wind up happier than they are.

A new study looked at “cool” behaviors adopted by middle-schoolers and found that although they made kids more popular in the short run, that effect wore off quickly and eventually backfired. By early adulthood, the cool kids were more likely to have criminal records, abuse alcohol and drugs and have troubled relationships.

In other words, the world may be one big “Revenge of the Nerds.”

​TODAY.com: Revenge of the nerds? ‘Cool kids’ may become unhappy adults