Skip to main content

Peer Pressure

Peers are people who are part of the same social group, so the term "peer pressure" means the influence that peers can have on each other. Although peer pressure does not necessarily have to be negative, the term "pressure" implies that the process influences people to do things that may be resistant to, or might not otherwise choose to do. So usually the term "peer pressure" is used when people are talking about behaviors that are not considered socially acceptable or desirable, such as experimentation with alcohol and drug use.
   Wanting to feel part of something can put pressure on you to act in certain ways. If you’re doing something you wouldn’t normally do, or are not doing something you’d like to do, simply so that you’ll be accepted by the people you hang out with, you’re suffering from peer pressure.
     Peer pressure can influence:
The way you dress or wear your hair
The activities you get involved in
The music you listen to
 Your decisions about using drugs and alcohol
 Who you date
Who you’re friends with.
The pressure to act in a certain way can be:
 direct: someone telling you what you should be doing
Indirect: your group of friends might do certain activities together that you’re unlikely to do outside of that group
 Self-motivated: putting pressure on yourself to fit in with your friendship group, because of certain standards they’ve set or comments they’ve made.
      Is Peer Pressure Always Bad?
Usually, the way that the term peer pressure is used is describing a negative influence that one peer, or group of peers, has on another person. The term is often used when describing how a previous well-behaved young person developed problematic behaviors, especially related to alcohol or drug use.
However, in reality, the influence that people have on one another can be either positive or negative, so in another way, peer pressure could be applied to either socially desirable or socially undesirable behaviors. For example, peer pressure could influence a young person to become involved in sports. This involvement could be positive, leading to exposure to healthy lifestyles and role models, and eventually leading the young person to become a positive role model herself.
On the other hand, that same peer pressure could lead the same young person to over-identify with sports, putting exercise and competition above all else. If taken to an extreme, she may develop exercise addiction , resulting in health problems, and causing her to neglect her schoolwork, other social activities, and ultimately, using exercise and competition in sports as her main outlet for coping with the stresses of life.
Parents often worry about peer pressure, particularly in relation to potentially addictive activities, such as
alcohol and drug use and sexual behavior, and to a lesser extent, food and eating patterns, video game playing, gambling, shopping and spending, and illegal activities. Parents are rarely concerned about peer pressure to engage in sports and
exercise , as these are typically seen as healthy social behaviors. This is appropriate, as long as the exercise or sport does not become an unhealthy way of coping, excessive to the point of negatively affecting their health, or dangerous (as in dangerous sports).
Addiction is a complex process, which is affected by many different factors, so peer pressure alone is unlikely to cause an addiction.
    Peer Pressure Does Not Just Affect Kids
Peer pressure is usually applied to younger people, especially teenagers. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to peer pressure , because they are at a stage of development when they are separating more from their parents' influence, but have not yet established their own values or understanding about human relationships or the consequences of their behavior. They are also typically striving for social acceptance at this stage, and may be willing to engage in behaviors that will allow them to be accepted that are against their better judgment.
However, adults can also be vulnerable to peer pressure. Many adults drink too much because it is the only way they can have a social life. They see others in a casino having a big win and it encouraging them to keep on gambling. They look at their boss getting a promotion and put work before family. So being aware of, and carefully choosing the influence of peers that will lead to healthy and happy experiences is a lifelong process.
   How to deal with peer pressure
Peer pressure isn’t always a bad thing; sometimes it can be good, such as when your friends stop you from doing something dumb that you’ll later regret. But often peer pressure can be linked to negative stuff. Check out the following examples of peer pressure and consider some tips for dealing with them.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why kids run away

Why Kids Run Away Remember how you felt the last time you got in a big fight with your parents or one of your brothers or sisters? That kind of anger and hurt can be what pushes someone to run away from home.These are problems faced by lots of kids and teens — and there are ways to deal with all of these problems besides running away. Kids who think about running away might not know how to solve tough problems or don't have adults to help them. Sometimes a really big problem can make it seem like running away is the only choice. Unfortunately, the problems kids hope to escape by running away are replaced by other — sometimes even bigger — problems of life on the streets. When you think about running away, you probably imagine that there will be no more rules, no parent to tell you what to do, no more fights. Sounds great and exciting, right? In reality, running away is anything but fun. Kids and teens who run away face new problems like not having any money, food to eat, a s...
Post a Comment
Read more

THE RIVER CROSSING.

It is no military secret that an opposed river crossing operation is difficult even under ideal conditions. But without adequate standard equipment and with a poor level of training of soldiers and officers, it could become impossible. But the Army Headquarters and Supreme Headquarters had strongly advised against embarking on an opposed river crossing because of inadequacy of equipment and deficiency in the training of troops for such a semi-specialist operation. The Supreme Headquarters had advised on unopposed crossing while the division passed through 1 Division's secure position to capture the town. The Division commander decided to take a grave and calculated risk that could be called bravado. But if the operation had been successful, as it nearly was, it would have been one of the most praiseworthy operations of the entire war. In the end, it failed and the commander had to take the blame for it.     The first landing, in which the Division Commander himself took part,...
Post a Comment
Read more

HERNIA

Hernia occurs in an individual when part of the intestine pushes through the wall of the abdomen and appears as a bulge at the site. There are many sites where hernia can occur, although the commonly encountered type is that found in the groin. This type of hernia is known as femoral or inguinal hernia. Hernia may occur on the navel or near it. The hernia which occurs on the navel is called umbilical hernia, while that which occurs close to it is known as paraumbilical hernia. These two types of hernia are less common than the femoral type.   Groin hernia occurs more commonly in males, but can also occur in females in a few cases. In this kind of hernia, there is a weakness in the abdominal wall in the groin region about midway across the groin. It may appear on either side or, sometimes on both sides. A good sign is that swelling increases, initially it can be pushed back manually into the body. Later on, it gets bigger still and lies almost permanently outside the body, especi...
1 comment
Read more