Have you been looking for ways to deal with peer pressure? Well, look no more.
But first, who are peers?
Peers are a group of people who are in the same class, social group, age grade or the same position in a society.
Everyone has peers but not all peers turn out to be friends. However, they can all influence each other both positively and negatively.
What is peer pressure?
Peer pressure is a direct influence from peers to act in a certain way or to do certain things or to conform to certain ideas that are not in a person’s moral standards or code of conduct.
This can happen because a certain person wishes to belong in the society or have a say in the happenings in his or her group and in order to “feel among”.
He or she tries to impress those who are considered peers.
Moreover, the pressure of doing what others are doing can be very strong and irresistible, especially in people with low self esteem and very low interaction skills.
Some examples of peer pressure include;
Smoking due to peer influence,
Going to night clubs in other to be considered as a “hot girl” or “happening guy”,
Bullying defenseless people,
Underage drinking,
Drug consumption,
Acting or dressing in a certain way,
Sealing,
Engaging in sexual activity and so on.
Types of peer pressure
There are two types of peer pressure: positive peer pressure and negative peer pressure.
The above listed examples are for negative peer pressure.
Usually, and more often than not, the term “peer pressure” connote the negative aspect of it.
It is used when people are talking about actions that are not socially and morally acceptable in the society.
Positive peer pressure
When peers influence each other in a good way that meets up to the moral standard of the society, it is considered positive peer influence.
As mentioned earlier, peers can also influence each other positively. For example, encouraging others to study harder in other to be at the top of their class.
Motivating members of a group to abstain from alcohol and drugs in other to have a healthier brain.
Encouraging people to be smarter.
Positive peer influence pushes one to be better and be a role model in society.
It is important to know that peer influence is not always bad and positive peer influence should be encouraged.
Negative peer pressure
Almost always, people are coerced or convinced to do something that is against their moral code in order to be accepted in a group.
Negative peer pressure leads to negative effects like developing addictions and habits. These include smoking and drinking excessively, drug addiction, stealing, cheating, bullying, cyber crimes and others.
What causes peer pressure?
Peer pressure is mostly common in teenagers and young adults. Older adults can also be pressured by peers (because everyone has peers).
A variety of issues cause people to feel unaccepted in a society, especially in a new environment.
Some of the causes of peer pressure include:
1. Low self-esteem
Personally, I believe this is one of the major reason people end up being pressured into doing the wrong thing.
People with low self esteem constantly feel the need to make a good impression on people who they just met. If for anything, so as not to be seen as an outcast or the socially awkward one.
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2. A desire to fit in
This is another reason people agree to do what others are doing, even if it breaks acceptable moral standards.
If a non-smoker has peers who smoke all the time, eventually, he will be pressured to do same.
And because he wants to fit in at all cost, he goes ahead to smoke with them and maybe gets addicted.
Guess what? That addiction can lead to serious health issues.
3. Lack of structure at home
No matter how strict a home is, its still possible for a child to be pressured into doing the wrong thing(s).
As teenagers grow, the tendency to develop a personal identity strengthen. As a result, they join peer groups in an attempt to be independent.
Effects of peer pressure
Peer pressure usually leaves an after-effect on the child or adult involved. These effects could be mild or severe.
These effects include:
1. Poor academic performance
When an individual (say a student) is being pressured negatively, he or she tends to neglect academic activities.
Because, his or her peers do not find it a “cool” thing to do and as a result, he or she begins to perform rather poorly in academics.
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2. Choices of social group
As a result of peer group influence, a person’s choice of social gatherings may change or differ depending on if he or she has been influenced positively or negatively.
For example, due to positive peer group influence, a person might decide to join a book club in other to broaden his or her knowledge about certain things.
In the same way, a person might decide to always hang out in bars and night clubs due to negative influence.
3. Engagement in illegal activities
In severe cases, peer influence can lead one into illegal activities like drunk-driving, prostitution, robbery and so on.
All these illegal activities may lead to one’s arrest and/or death.
For parents, its important to be there for their children especially when such wards are still in the developing stage.
They should endeavor to always act as their children’s counselors and also help build up their self esteem.
Time and again we have followed trends where most folks caught in criminal activities confess to being led into it by a friend.
Just as other individuals conceive ideas with friends and go on to become co-founders, building some of the major companies and corporations we know today.
The likes of Google and Facebook were conceived by friends. Check out this guide to using the internet effectively.
Positive peer pressure should always be encouraged while on the other hand, negative peer pressure should be frowned.
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Maxwell is a Dietitian with passion for showing people hope. With over a decade experience helping people make key decisions on education and career, you can find him almost everywhere on this site. From answering admission and scholarship questions to creating tutorials and helping others live their best lives though healthy food choices. Connect with me on Twitter.
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