Movies hold a lot of power. Not only can they influence the culture people live in, with phrases, ideas, and memes, but they can also represent real life. The 2004 movie Mean Girls embodies the classic high school stereotypes – drinking at parties, drama, and nerds; everything one could ever ask for in a movie. Although not all elements of the film are accurate to real life, three particular ideas are well-represented: cliques, clubs, and peer pressure.

In the movie, Cady comes to a new school and meets the Plastics: Karen, Gretchen, and Regina. They are the perfect example of a clique. Psychologist Carl E. Pickhardt wrote an article for Psychology Today entitled Adolescence and the Power of Social Cliques, published December 6, 2021. He defined a clique as a group focused “around some shared values or characteristics that allow members to set themselves apart from others.” This is much like the Plastics, who position themselves above everyone else in their school; nonetheless, cliques don’t have to be groups of “popular” students. They can be based on culture, lifestyle, athletics, or even wealth. The Psychology Today article also explained how they “can feel cool when you belong and cruel when you don’t.”

While cliques may create a sense of acceptance for an individual, another might feel rejection. This can create low self-worth, as one who isn’t welcomed into the group can feel like they’re not doing enough. They may feel the need to change themselves to fit in with their peers. However, this isn’t necessary whatsoever; a group of friends where one needs to change who they are to fit in is hardly a group of friends at all.

Mean Girls presents another component of the high school experience: clubs. Cady was encouraged to join the North Shore High School “Mathletes” because of her ability to crunch numbers. Clubs are a wonderful way for teens to find like-minded people, much like what Cady found in the math team. Joining clubs has a wide range of benefits, as explained by the Child Focus article published March 4, 2024, entitled What are the Benefits of Getting Your Kids Involved in Clubs & Sports? It provided a list of advantages that come with extracurricular activities. One that is prominent, especially in sports, is physical activity.

Joining an athletic team can promote exercise and health for a teen, while without it, they may be sitting around the house. A sport promotes and provides at least an hour of physical activity a day, creating a much healthier lifestyle for students. Another benefit is developing social skills. In many extracurricular activities, students have to interact with other members of their club and learn how to work with others. This was represented when Cady and the Mathletes had to put their heads together on several occasions. Clubs can also provide an outlet for many students and can help develop a sense of self. While not every student will become an Olympic athlete, other activities like debate or robotics can open a door to new opportunities and ideas that may not have been open before. It is also important to remember that being in a club doesn’t mean being in a clique; they are two different entities that don’t need to overlap.

The last topic embodied by the popular Mean Girls film is peer pressure. The infamous Burn Book displays the perfect example of peer pressure in high school. The Plastics create this book that ridicules other students and even teachers; to be accepted, Cady participates in contributing to this book. This action leads to numerous complications for her down the line. Peer influence is extremely powerful, according to the Scripps article published April 22, 2024, called How Does Peer Pressure Affect a Teen’s Social Development? It states that a teen’s brain is still developing, and a sense of judgment is still maturing; this can lead to rash decisions being made under pressure, especially when surrounded by friends. This issue can be prominent both inside and outside of school.

In the learning environment, it’s common for students not to participate in class. Kellogg Insight published an article by Leonardo Bursztyn, Georgy Egorov, and Robert Jensen on October 2, 2018 entitled How Peer Pressure Can Lead Teens to Underachieve—Even in Schools Where It’s “Cool to be Smart. It explained the two primary reasons teens choose to not raise their hands and be active in class: not looking unintelligent and not looking like a nerd. In schools where it’s “cool to be smart,” students will fear being wrong in front of their peers, and decide not to volunteer, even if they know the answer. The dread of being incorrect is enough to stop them from participating, even though being active in the class would lead to a better learning experience. In “smart to be cool” schools, making an effort in class is stigmatized and frowned upon. This leads to a desire not to look like a nerd due to the fear of being ostracized. While this may all seem negative, peer pressure has two sides, with positive being one of them.

For instance, a fairly antisocial teen had plans to stay home on a Friday night. Then, their friend asked them to come to a party with them to meet new people; after some persuading, the two friends agreed to attend the event. This is an example of positive peer pressure; however, the situation can turn negative fairly quickly. While at this party, a group of people tries to convince the pair to try drinking and drugs. Everyone else is doing it, so they are then pressured to do the same. Teens need to be aware of the decisions they’re making and recognize the consequences of their actions. Mean Girls represents three influential components of the high school experience beautifully, despite the hyperbolic aspects of the film.