The Mystery of Middle School Contagion.
Remember those days in middle school?
The awkward silences, the questionable fashion choices, lastly, the bizarre social dynamics? Well, there is one universal middle school experience that stands out.
The mysterious chain reaction cough.
Remember in middle school when one person coughed, and suddenly the whole class had a mysterious cough outbreak?
You know the one – one kid coughs, while suddenly, it is a symphony of coughs echoing through the classroom.
In addition, how & why did a single cough start a chain reaction? It wasn’t even about being sick, it was just contagious.
Let’s be real, this was not your typical classroom cold.
This was a weird social reflex, a domino effect triggered by a single, obnoxious cough. Teachers would be so over it.
“If you need water, go get some!” But Mr./Mrs. So and so, I don’t need water. I just have the middle school cough effect.
Was it for a cough drop, thinking it’s candy?
The thought is almost comical. Secondly, let’s not get started on the yawning chain reaction. A single yawn, the whole room is fighting back their own involuntary mouth – gaps. What was occurring through the formative years that made us so susceptible to bizarre social contagions?
While the exact science remains a school mystery, we can speculate on the psychology behind this phenomenon. Perhaps it was a subconscious form of social mirroring, where students unconsciously imitated the actions of their peers. That being said, it was a way to break the tension of a dull lesson or a subtle cry for attention in a crowded room. In addition, it was just plain middle school weirdness at its finest.
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