At one point or another your parents have gotten mad at you. And at one point or another youve responded by saying, “At least I’m not partying,” or, “At least I don’t do drugs,” or—well, you get the point.
Every teenager has done it here or there. Whether it works or not, you use other teenagers’ faults to make yourself look better. There’s nothing wrong with that, and you’re certainly not the only one guilty of the Good Kid Syndrome.
Teens have been doing it for years. It’s an instinct that is hardwired into our brains.
“We are just trying to point out that we aren’t doing something completely horrible, wrong, or illegal,” sophomore from La Plata High School, Rebecca Giannini said when asked about Good Kid Syndrome.
Once in a while parents just need to be reminded that their kids may mess up sometimes, but they could be doing worse.
Some parents don’t buy into it, but some do. “They get a little upset in the moment, but they realize at a later time that what we are saying is true,” Giannini said about how her parents react.
On the other hand, using the “At least I’m not…” line is a distraction to parents and implies that you should get off the hook for simply not doing certain things.
“People should be expected not to do things like that and have higher personal standards. They should in no way be rewarded for not partaking in that type of behavior,” senior at La Plata High School, Ashleigh Brown said.
Is using the Good Kid Syndrome good or bad? Well, that’s a question you have to ask yourself. It’s up to you whether you use it or not—and it’s up to your parents whether they buy into it or not.
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