Hoss, is that really an “American” mentality?
Vacuous, superficial bullshit is ubiquitous and timeless. Has it become more central in our lives due to digital communication and relentless marketing? Maybe. I don’t follow it or care, because it counts for shit the minute junior needs to put a roof over his head and feed himself.
At my keyboard now so can type a little clearer.
This highschool in Toronto was the closest thing I felt to an American highschool. What I mean is, the area was predominantly white, with a decent amount of money in the area. The girls from elementary school age were taught early to have that "look". and that the cool boys were the jocks, or the kids with money that also had that look. All of the neighbouring schools also went to a junior high before attending the highschool. Here, the cliquey nature and emphasis on being "cool" and popular took hold a lot earlier than in other schools I have taught in. Kids in grade 7 were already being forced into sexual acts, nude pics were common occurrence, and alcohol and drugs stolen from parents was common.
Every school has it's jocks, cheerleaders, nerds, goth etc... but in my time in other schools, it wasn't as vacuous. This school was literally "the breakfast club" in terms of the American version of a highschool.
The difference was that there was such a hard separation between the haves and the havenots, and such a strong rejection of the kids without, that it put A LOT of pressure on the students to keep up. Again, I know this happens in every highschool, but when the surrounding community doesn't have those same values, and when the divide between groups isn't as negative I haven't seen the same thing.
Pretty girls in this highschool either fell in line, or they were threatened, slut shamed, "bullied" mercilessly until they left the school. The rejects tried desperately to be accepted and could never do it. As a result, the area had one of the highest suicide rates in the city, and it was a constant mix of the types of kids.
The area as well, always tried to keep it quiet. Because many of the parents were former graduates of the school and would never leave that area. Kids who were children of Police sargeants were parts of major ecstasy dealers and were caught with garbage bags full of pills never saw any charges laid against.
What I meant as well about the american attitude maybe should have been clarified as the "white all-american" attitude as I felt this school where I was at could have been plucked out of our city and thrown into West Virginia or something and wouldn't stand out of place.
Sorry for the long post. But I know Habsy was looking for "what else could it be" and I just wanted to add that the American ideals of success, beauty, and fame are also here and they do result in teens succumbing to pressure. The difference is Canadian teens crash through abuse of themselves and suicide. The access to guns in the states just allows kids to go out a lot differently and to finally feel like they are being "heard". It's gross but, that is what some kids just want. And doing a school shooting gives them a voice and the power that they can't get any other way.