Is it cool to be smart?

Many girls use Facebook and Twitter to try to make themselves “cooler than they really are.”

That’s the conclusion of a study by the Girl Scout Research Institute. Girls tend to portray themselves as “fun,” “funny” and “social,” according to an institute survey. Online, they downplay positive characteristics about themselves, including their intelligence, kindness and efforts to be a positive influence.

The Girl Scout Research Institute has been conducting and disseminating research about critical issues faced by girls and young women for more than 10 years. You can find out more information about the institute and its research at girlscouts.org/research.

We’re both were appalled when we read about these research results. We’re sad that girls still think it’s not cool to be smart. Isn’t that something that girls used to do decades ago?

Fayteen thinks immediately about her granddaughter, Rankin, and hopes she will grow up thinking that it’s cool to be intelligent. And, Joy thinks about her niece Emma, who is a 6-feet-tall basketball star and also is ranked No.1 academically in her senior class.

We’re going to tell Rankin, Emma and a number of other girls we know that we think it’s cool that they are smart.