I completely understand!!! Boy do I ever.
Okay... a little about me (so you know how I can relate). I'm 22 years old and I just graduated from university with a civil engineering degree. I don't come from a wealthy family (in fact, i'm the first person on either side of my family to attend a post-secondary institution). I went to a public school and I experienced something very similar to what you've described.
I was always at the top of my class academically so i had the brain capacity see outside the box, and ultimately see how ridiculous it all really was.
Here's some advice... stay away from it - just stay away. Take what they say with a grain of salt. It means nothing! less than nothing, if you will. they're not worth your time or energy - they're not even worth the time it took for you to write that little blurb... let alone the time it must have taken you to think all of that up.
the problem with these people is that they don't understand what's important. these are the people that will grow up and one of two things will happen:
A) their trust fund will run out, they'll smarten up and realize that there's more to life than prada bags, gucci sunglasses, and BMW's; or
B) they'll continue to live their life superficially and materialistically and they'll give birth to children who will subsequently be the children who your kid is asking the same questions about in 30 years time.
either way - they'll have lost AT LEAST a quarter of their life to nonsense. worrying what other people are wearing or driving or eating or who they're dating. personally, i have more important things to think about - staying healthy, getting a good education, having a happy family, getting a rewarding job. in my personal opinion... when you step outside commercialism and everything that drives these people to feel inferior in the first place, we're all the same. perhaps that last statement could use some clarification... feeling inferior. why do people put other people down in the first place? to make themselves feel and look better. "she's fat"... the girl who said it thinks SHE'S fat... "her car's ugly"... SHE's afraid that others think her car's ugly... so by pointing out the flaws (and i use that word very loosely), she's taking the focus away from her own faults.
from a scientific point of view, human beings are around 99.7% like all other human beings... why do we have to focus so much on the things that define us as individuals in a negative way. the things that distinguish us from other people is what makes us beautiful. for a species that's so much alike, we certainly have a way of segregating ourselves...
oh i could just go on about this forever... i wish i could just sit down with you and talk about this. i also wish that i could instill in all young adults the ability to see people for who they are and not get caught up in the petty, useless, superficial crap that a lot of them get caught up in. it really hurts my brain.
the moral of the story: don't hate others for what they are, love them for who they are. money doesn't define you. looks don't define you. stay away from negativity, surround yourself with people who care about you and love you for who you are (not what you're money can buy them) and you'll be alright.
if you want to talk more about this feel free. i have a lot more to say.
wendy
I think the media is responisble for making the cliche of : "High School is the time of your life." Shows like Laguna Beach are a prime example. Stick with our friends. They are your best medicene. 
