Peer pressure is a genuine problem that many teens around the world are facing today. Many deceptive ads abound in society, driving teenagers in all the wrong directions. In school, peer pressure is particularly intense. When you see trouble brewing or young people on the verge of making a wrong decision, as we all live in a different community, our behaviors and perspectives influence one another in various ways. Is peer pressure beneficial? Positive social pressure exists, and it is effective in controlling positive behaviors.
Teenagers are especially vulnerable to peer pressure. The powerful influence in a teenager’s life could be their parents and follow by the environment they grew up in life. Sometimes friends may pressure to do dangerous things such as drugs, alcohol, and dares that result in severe consequences. Another factor that causes young people to use drugs is peer pressure. Despite the government’s strict regulations, there is widespread drug use at numerous high school parties around the country. Young people cannot also come up with a justification for refusing to succumb to negative peer pressure. Being in an environment that pushes us to do things we don’t want to do can make us feel nervous and depressed. If someone is influencing much by others’ judgment affects self-confidence and value issues. Anorexia is a severe condition that is exacerbated by peer pressure, especially among young women.
You’re more likely to lose too much weight and develop eating disorders, which can lead to anorexia if you hang out with girls who prioritize their physical appearance and are always on a diet. For example, based on BBC News, a third of 4,500 UK adults were worried about their bodies, and one in eight is having suicidal thoughts because of body shaming. If peers are preoccupied with appearance, you will feel insecure and want to change your looks to fit in.
Most of the people in our culture are still afraid of rejection and, as a result, are unable to express their own opinions. Such fear of rejection is a powerful motivator for pack behavior and peer pressure growth. Second, cultural norms may also play a role in creating peer pressure if you live in a very conservative society where everybody is expected to obey strict cultural rules from an early age. Mental health issues and personal confusion could also be more susceptible to peer pressure. It may lead to low self-esteem, poor academic performance, estrangement from family and friends, and an increase in depression and anxiety. If left untreated, this may lead to self-harm or suicidal thoughts in adolescents. Peer pressure also induces significant behavioral changes in people that are influenced. Individuality may be lost as a result of peer pressure.
Parents must also instill self-esteem in their children so that they are not too dependent on the approval of others. If children have enough self-esteem and know what they want and don’t want to do, social pressure is less likely to lead them to engage in criminal activity. When you consider the overall effect of social anxiety in your life, you’ll notice that there are occasions when you feel pressured to do something good even though it’s not the best decision for you at the moment, and it will change your life goals.
It’s crucial to be ready to deal with peer pressure. It would help if you let yourself avoid people or circumstances that don’t feel right, leave an awkward situation, and focus on establishing boundaries. It is unnecessary to please others or do what others say to feel good or accepted: develop your self-confidence and believe in yourself. We should all change our beliefs so that politics and religion have less impact on our decisions. This does not imply that religious convictions should be suppressed, nor does it mean that radical behavior. Changing our value structures will make children and adolescents less likely to participate in religious attacks as a result of peer pressure.
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However, peer pressure has benefits. Peer pressure is usually associated with negative connotations, but it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. According to Pierce Brooks’s Ted Talk, “Playing the Game of Social Pressure,” pivoting under pressure is critical for success in life. Peers can be great role models for each other. Peers who are focused on doing well in school or competing at a high level in sports can influence you to set higher goals for yourself. For example, a student is motivated to get good grades when his peers are getting good grades – a behavior that can be attributed to positive peer pressure. It encourages you to put in extra effort to get the solo in the concert, helps you research, listens and supports you when you’re depressed or troubled, and empathizes with you when they’ve experienced similar difficulties.
Peer pressure can also motivate us to do new and exciting things that we may not have tried before or had the confidence to do. When someone’s peers force them to do something constructive, it is known as positive peer pressure. You will see their performance as a challenge and a goal for you if you learn to have faith in your abilities to channel stress in the correct way. Peer pressure allows you to experience the actual workplace, as anything you do in the workplace will take your courage and tenacity. On the other hand, it could help you become more emotionally adaptable. It’s not unusual for your preferences and attitudes to change in response to what everyone wants if you’re willing to start fitting in with a specific faction.
Positive peer pressure will assist you in focusing on your choices and making improvements that will aid your personal development. Watching others work hard to achieve their goals will undoubtedly inspire you to step up your game and set an optimistic target for yourself. Peer pressure will cause you to lose your personal preferences and push yourself to like what they like. In the end, the advantages and disadvantages of peer pressure are determined by your choices.