The film “Mean Girls” was very publicized for it’s mostly accurate portrayal of modern-day factions of social groups or better known as Cliques. In the movie, there are many not-so-subliminal references to the cliché cliques that are most commonly found in high school; jocks, nerds, band geeks, etc. For over half a century, cliques have been the focal points of many television shows and films. This is because most of the platforms that portray visual media encourage you to embrace the different aspects of your lifestyle by presenting characters who relinquish their predetermined ties to their cliques. They defy the social standards and decide to be friends with people who they trust, despite not appearing to have things in common with. But the thing that some people don’t realize is that unfortunately life is not an idealistic movie where you assume everything will be okay after the credits go down. Cliques don’t ever really go away, they just adapt to the situations that you live with. Some individuals learn to live with them and adjust their lives accordingly, while others let these social groups rule their lives. Cliques can affect not only the self-esteem and self-confidence in teenagers and children, but they also can have long-term psychological effects that kick in later.

There are two different social groups, in which, most people fit into: cliques and clicks. While most may not know the difference between the two, it is considerable. Cliques are groups that are usually people who are brought together by the need to be liked, accepted, or popular. Clicks, on the other hand, are usually positive groups that form because of common interests. Experts have shown that cliques can have negative effects on the social abilities of members in the group. In some cases it is hard for those people to be socially independent. The members of a clique are often insecure in their relationships and can lack the self confidence to assert their creativity and individuality.

 When most people here the word cliques they think of high school, jocks, preps, nerds, etc. But the truth is that cliques can be found in all age groups. Studies have proven that starting at the young age of five, children have started to show signs of a clique mentality. At this age, this behavior may seem very superficial but over time it can develop into something very serious. An example of Clique mentality in younger children would be a group of children not letting another child play with them because they don’t have a specific toy. Adults can be affected by cliques mentality as well. As individuals become adults, their interpretations of cliques change and the formation of their cliques comes more from their social environment, rather than from common interests. Because of this, they usually lack the objectivity to view the cliques around them.

 The exclusions and inclusions of individuals in certain cliques can affect their social development later on in life. There can be negative and positive psychological effects. For instance, the people who have been viewed as outsiders within a community are more likely to develop anxiety and depression disorders. On the other hand, people who are very social and have the tendencies to surround themselves with different types of people can mature with the ability of  “good people” skills and superb speaking skills. The ability to develop both the good and the bad usually is determined at a very young age. Children are usually indoctrinated to hang out with certain groups of friends based on the friendship status of their parents. Like any other age group, parents can find themselves in cliques as well. For instance, parents who maybe grew up together may be a little resistant to letting in others who may be new to the community. Their resistance to them subconsciously transfers to their children, therefore their children have a resistance against the others. This is similar to (but not as extreme as) the social tendencies used against some African-Americans by some Caucasian Americans, during the 1960’s. Children learned from their parents that certain things were “wrong”, even if it was just the social views of the parents. So, if the parents fall into set groups then their children will ,assumably, be indoctrinated into similar groups.
 

“Joining mathletes is, like, social suicide”. This quote is a prime example of the social disapproval of some people concerning about others, it is from the movie Mean Girls. Everywhere that we go in life there will be cliques. They may come in different shapes and sizes but they are all around us. Some psychologists say that being in and forming cliques are a part of what makes us human. Cliques can make us or break us, but it is our resistance to peer pressure that truly makes us all “fetch” individuals.