Question: One study asked young people in the United States and the Netherlands to write essays about what is "cool" and "uncool" and to create visual collages that represent what it means to be cool.110 The researchers found that cool has multiple meanings to kids in these two cultures. Some of the common dimensions include having charisma, being in control, and being a bit aloof. Many of the respondents also agreed that being cool is a moving target: The harder you try to be cool, the more uncool you are! Here are some of their actual responses:
• "Cool means being relaxed, to nonchalantly be the boss of every situation, and to radiate that" (Dutch female)
• "Cool is the perception from others that you've got ‘something' which is macho, trendy, hip, etc." (Dutch male)
• "Cool has something standoffish, and at the same time, attractive" (Dutch male)
• "Being different, but not too different. Doing your own thing, and standing out, without looking desperate while you're doing it" (American male)
• "When you are sitting on a terrace in summer, you see those machos walk by, you know, with their mobile [phones] and their sunglasses. I always think, ‘Oh please, come back to earth!' These guys only want to impress. That is just so uncool" (Dutch female)
• "When a person thinks he is cool, he is absolutely uncool" (Dutch female)
• "To be cool we have to make sure we measure up to it. We have to create an identity for ourselves that mirrors what we see in magazines, on TV, and with what we hear on our stereos" (American male)
Replicate this study in your area. Recruit a group of teenagers to construct individual collages that represent what they feel is "cool." Analyze their choices- what patterns do you see?