My HS was competitive but in the 90s you didn't have to build your global brand on social media or maintain a blog. The things we were measured by were largely private, like your grades, SAT scores, and application essays. Now you have to become a mini-celebrity and survive the onslaught of millions trying to knock you down. Every HS kid in the US is only a couple steps removed on social media.

Do you really need to do that? What evidence is there? (Serious question)

I know of a young person who felt compelled to obtain a patent in high school as part of buffing their brand.

Do you need to do this? No. Is that the perception? In some places.

I also did this lol. What a misguided, neurotic person I was.

Yes, and this is why it is hard for those (like me, HS student, 16yo) who avoid social media as a matter of privacy. I personally get left out of friend groups, etc. and when I was applying for an internship, one of the questions was "Please list your social media handles/accounts here"... I'm pretty sure I know why I didn't get that internship :) They probably thought I was hiding something...

Was waiting for someone to add that.

My friend is a high school principle in Washington state. He tells of fist fights between girls over a “diss” on Snap, girls (minors mind you) using social media to sell themselves (prostitution). I don’t know whether you’d call that more hedonistic or not but these are new twists on old problems.

Likely none of these kids at his school have much chance of getting into a T2 school.