It seems like in today's society?

[Nicko]

It seems that popularity is so demanding upon young people.

For instance, all those social networking sites like facebook and twitter only increase children's demand for popularity.
Mostly due to the happy faces everywhere that people put on the internet.

Thinking about this, if people's popularity goes up, there are others out there that might yield for what they have and that just causes more pain, anger and resentment for what they already have.

This is a disaster and what hurts me the most.

Just wanted to get this out! Thoughts please ??

[Julia]

life IS a popularity contest

[T-roo]

It is more important to know yourself and be happy, regardless of the wasted time trying to be popular, when those very same people wouldn't lift a finger to help should it ever be needed.

[Move on]

The desires of youth and the demands and pressures have not changed. As you point out, the playing field has but not the root of the matter.

[Generalist]

G
The real progress of the world is created by people who are more concerned with manifesting their own concepts than with popularity. The scientists, engineers and designers that developed the devices on which we depend, were not dealing with popularity until the sales aspect.
The great emperors were not concerned with popularity, as much as power.
The people who, over hundreds of thousands of years, made it possible for us to sit at a keyboard, rather than scrounging in the bush for roots and berries, were concerned with developing the skills of cooperation and communication. Popularity is only important when you have survived the rigorous challenges that underlie life.
Those who wing up on the top develop their capabilities in school and commune with teachers from the past and present. Popularity for people like Bill Gates, is a marketing tool, not the substance.
As always, the most influential people may not be the most popular because their developments get widely used, even when the developers are either not well know, or have personalities like wolverines.

If you want to be influential and have people fawn on you, develop your capabilities and rely on the smart, and wise, not on the media moths.
Create progress in your life and learn how to win real battles.

[swordbuster]

It's probably capitalism's fault.

[froufrou]

its not just young people
its been older peopel for a while too

its 'in' to have lots and lots of 'friends/acquantancies' even if you dont really know them,liek them or care about them and vice versa

i agree, its not a very positive thing
actual real friendships are better, and healither in my view