Peer Pressure : A Weirdly Misjudged Concept
X tried his first cigarette because he thought it would be 'cool’.
Y changed her entire wardrobe, in order to 'fit in'.
Z vandalized his school building so he wouldn’t be called a 'wuss’.
How many of you have given into at least some form of peer pressure? How many of you have gotten roped into activities you didn't want to do? How many of you have changed, even a little bit, just to get accepted? Almost all of you have.
Peer pressure is something that we’ve all experienced in life at one point or another. It doesn’t necessarily have to be bad. You may get pulled into a study session because of 'nerdy' friends; or perhaps even forced into being more active instead of being a potato. Sometimes, a lot of good can come out of friendly peer pressure. Unfortunately, most of the time, this isn’t the case.
So what exactly does 'Peer Pressure' mean? It is the social pressure of a peer group on a certain individual to conform to the groups' expectations. It is normal for one to want to 'fit in' and even become popular. As teenagers, you don't want to be the ones standing in the corner, trying to shy away due to your differences; you conform. We all want to toe the line, but at what price?
It is hard to simply walk away. We would all like to pack up our things and leave; unfortunately, life is never that artless. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."
As teenagers, you rely on your peers, your friends, to help you through this complex and confusing stage in life. You look towards them for aide, comfort and even inspiration. Contrary to popular belief, not all peer pressure is bad. Relying on a peer group can provide you with friendship, socializing skills, encouragement, etc. Just because of the negativity surrounding the words ‘peer pressure’, you mustn’t shut out all social influences.
You may have some friends who are genuinely willing to help you improve in different aspects. Do not close yourself. However, at the same time, do not let anyone walk all over you. Retain the ability to choose between the positives and the negatives. Before you accept any piece of 'advice’, ask yourself, "How will this help me?"
The moment you are able to distinguish between the positives and the negatives, you will have escaped the ropes of 'peer pressure’.
Unfortunately, as mentioned before,
life is never that docile. Appalling facts and statistics state that marijuana consumption has increased by a staggering 275% from the years 1992-1997: Over 10 million teens across the world smoke; 32.2% of adolescents have tried their first drink before the age of 13. When faced with these facts and statistics, we can’t help but wonder what was going on through these teens' minds when they decided to take such a deleterious step.
It’s hard to escape these horrors when 95% of today’s teenagers are easily exposed to marijuana, cigarettes and beer. We’re surrounded, and worst of all, it seems as though there’s no escape.
Whilst peer pressure is a strong factor affecting ordinary teenagers, you are not the only ones. Actors, models, singers, our quintessential role models, they all experience peer pressure just like you do. It’s not just you. Don’t we all expect models to have the body that we
die for: actors and actresses to
have the looks and singers to have the charisma? They’re all under the same amount of pressure, if not more. When you feel compelled to do something, ask yourselves, why?
It is extremely easy to fall at your feet and give in to the social expectations of our society. The perfect clothes, the perfect hair; there’s nothing stopping you from pulling out a cigarette or gulping down beer. Peer pressure is a powerful force in everybody’s life. It is what makes us want to become better people, to aim for the highest peak and to remain competitive; however, it is also what coerces us to take the wrong road.
You all want to be part of a clique, and if that clique can be the good group, you’ve hit the jackpot, but is it worth becoming a clone? Is 'fitting in’ worth losing yourself and any sense of individuality?
We all have a choice: take the easy road, jump onto the bandwagon and get sucked into peer pressure; or we can choose our own path, lead our own lives and become the individuals that we always aspired to be.
The choice is ours.…
