Back in the game

At what point do you emphasize social skills? I've always assumed that they are taught over the course of your entire life, beginning at the earliest stages of life. I sometimes wonder if my students missed out on early, developmental, social skills. For example, in ac lab today one of my students who rarely brings work to do but always owes works in his classes, was trying to discuss all sorts of topics with me while I busily respond to email and update the website. He is over by my bulletin board that has useful information as well as two, unflattering pictures of me from my middle school years with a sign that notes "middle school, no one is immune." I put them up to be funny, to poke fun at the fact that everyone looks ridiculous in these years of growth. Well my students tells me I look just like my middle school self. Excuse me, but I do not wear unflattering jean jackets anymore and I don't have bangs that start halfway back on my head and I've grown out of my rosacea and shed my braces! So I ignore him thinking maybe he'll drop it. But that's not the kind of kid he is, he wants to be heard and almost always believes he's right so he proceeds to ask every one in my classroom if I look identical to my old pictures. No one wants to agree because they get that no person wants to be told they look like they did in seventh grade but also they don't want to engage in a frustrating argument with this student so they just kind of ignore him. Finally I tell my student to drop it and get a book out to read. I mention that perhaps I don't want to look like my teen self. He then replies, "what it's a compliment, it means you look young. You're like the exact same, minus the fluorescent red hair!" Oh, the honesty just never gets old.