It is difficult on a kid not being accepted by the “in” crowd. Back in my day, there was a girls’ social club in our school called, unfortunately and shortsightedly, “The Gay Teens”. Of course, us poor kids from the country grammar schools came down to the consolidated high school, and the majority of us weren’t invited to join “The Gay Teens”. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Heaven help us if we dared get “out of our place”, too. Husband was in the “gay teen club” crowd, so doesn’t understand my struggles to deal with that whole scenario, even where it intrudes on my psyche in a teeny-weeny way to this day. (I don’t like to go back for “reunions”; his favorite thing in the whole world.)
I think every generation had groups of sort. Whether they were the ones with money, the brains, the jocks, the band geeks, the theater crowd, etc... The difference that I see today is that there are more groups available than when I was a teen. (to be fair, I attended a very small, Catholic high school so choices were very limited). The teen years are not a joy to everyone. (I’m still laughing about the Gay Teens!!)