There are many subcultures that affect the atmosphere at Alton High School as well as the relationships amongst students. 

Cliques have been an ongoing cliche for years. While usually seen in movies such as “Bratz” (2007) and “Mean Girls” (2004), they are capable of influencing teenagers’ social lives. As similarly seen in entertainment, each subculture affects the styles and personalities of classmates. These sub-groupings are often made up of stereotypes that people may assign to each other. 

Prior to high School, teens can only presume what schooling is like with what they see on television. Movies and shows that are accustomed to younger viewers typically occur in a high school setting with lots of dancing, cliques, and hierarchies. “In entertainment, it shows that people with the exact same interests are the people in those cliques,” sophomore Lily Waltz said.

Traditionally, the groupings fall in the lines of band geeks, popular kids, nerds, country students,   etc. Each of these individual cliques have separate assumptions that are connected to them. “Stereotypes that come with being a country kid are wearing boots, having a mullet and gun apparel,” sophomore Parker Wendle said.

Teenagers are easily influenced when presented with certain characteristics that they think need to be possessed. A clique that a student is assigned to can affect the way they dress and their personalities. “I also have a few marching band hoodies and shirts, so I guess being in band affects my clothing choices somewhat,” junior Gabe Futhey said.

Being constricted to particular activities and interests can restrain students from reaching their full potential. High schoolers especially may feel that they need to have their peers in the activities that they involve themselves in. “It can sometimes feel like you have  to do what those around you are doing,” Waltz said.

In some cases, the amount of social media that students consume impacts how they perceive themselves and each other. Teenagers are more likely to set themselves to high standards when they hear and see so many different opinions, it may get hard to not assume things of other people based on their looks. “I think social media definitely plays a big part in the standards we hold ourselves to. Seeing others posting things that we want can change someone’s mindset and affect their self esteem,” Waltz said.

As mentioned earlier, personality and looks are affected by the peers that highschoolers surround themselves with, however, the stereotypes play both ways. Based on the activities that they partake in determines the people that they are surrounded by, moreover, reflecting their personality. “I do believe that being a member of band has affected my friend group. I’ve made many friends being in band and have gotten closer to many people because of these friendships,” Futhey said.

Being a part of a clique can be beneficial to students who are trying to make friends, although it can also lead to unrealistic standards.