Perhaps the biggest problem with social groups is when they are limiting to people as they grow. Some see the issue of these groups as a world wide problem, with larger groups of people being the problem. That is very true, and many of the problems we face on a global level have everything to do with these groups. If you think of it in your own life though, the definition of these are a bit different, but they can have the same affect on your life if that is what you allow to happen.
The time when local social groups are going to mean the most is in high school. Teenagers are learning about who they are and where they fit it in within the world around them. This can lead to problems. Social groups within schools can be very exclusive and very rough. Image is everything at this age because teens don’t know enough about themselves to distinguish themselves in any other way. That doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with them, that is just how it is at that age. Some excel in these social climates and others have a horrible time.
The good news is that these social groups become less important as a child moves on to college. They know more about who they are, and with that, they grow to be more curious and tolerant of those that they would have never spoken to in high school. As college begins, some stick to old high school habits and ideas about social groups, but that does not usually stick for long. Soon, none of those things matter, and budding adults begin to choose friends because of compatibility and common interests rather than just looks or labels.
Though these social groups will play a role in any life from time to time, things get better as we age. Our groups take on whole new meanings, and we rarely have a hard time admitting someone into our circle of friends if they share our values and our interests. It doesn’t matter who they look like, where they came from, or if we would have liked them years before. Social groups are no long as exclusive, and more encompassing of who we really are as people and what we want out of life. A good life includes those that make us feel good, and those people can come from any where at any time.