Excellent observations throughout the article, especially this one. They all lead to the unspoken conclusion that the underlying issue is that some people will manufacture recognition that they feel they do not receive from others. It's not all from high school but from all aspects of life. The need for recognition is strongest in young people who are still developing their sense of identity. When that strong need is not met, people will turn to other sources, sometimes exploitive of their needs. Always these self-serving paths to manufactured recognition are myopic and destructive. They are also the heart of the right-wing, from young incel punks to Elon Musk and Donald Trump.