It’s common for children and teenagers to feel anxious about what other people think of them. Some kids feel so anxious that they develop something called social anxiety disorder. This is when you worry so much about what others think about you that you stop doing things you need (and want) to do for fear of embarrassing yourself.

Social anxiety in kids starts between the ages of 8 and 15. They can usually hide their feelings in the beginning, and parents and teachers may not notice that anything is wrong.

Social anxiety means that even small things — like answering a question in class or eating with friends in the cafeteria — can feel very scary. That’s because kids worry that they might accidentally do something embarrassing or offensive, and it will change what people think about them.