By Sania Dastangir | 30th October, 2022
Have you ever faced peer pressure? I am sure you have, I mean every one of us diligent students has. It is something that either impacts our lives positively or negatively, however, most of the time in a negative context. Though what is peer pressure and what are its impacts? How can we avoid it altogether?
Intro To Peer Pressure!
Definition: Peer pressure is the feeling that you have to do something to fit in, be accepted, or be respected, can be tough to deal with.
Everyone has peers, they can be your friends about your age with similar interests and experiences or they can be other kids who are involved in the same community and activities as you. You may not consider all of your peers to be friends, but they can all influence you. Peer pressure can be positive ➕ or negative ➖. When peer pressure is positive it pushes you to be your best. However, Negative peer pressure is when someone who is a friend or part of a group you belong to makes you feel that you have to do something to be acceptedAnd It's the negative peer pressure that we usually think of when the phrase peer pressure is used.
Why Do We Give Into Peer Pressure? 🤨
Many teenagers give in to peer pressure because they want to be liked by other teens around them, thinking that it may help them fit in. Some do it because they are afraid to be teased by other teenagers if they don't go along with the group. And other teens simply succumb to peer pressure because they are curious Maybe wanting to try something others are doing, fooling themselves with the idea that "since everyone else is doing it, then it should be fine if I do it" even though they know better.
It's hard to be different!
Examples Of Negative Peer Pressure:
- Needing to dress or act a certain way.👗
- Cheating or copying someone else’s work or letting others copy your work.📝
- Not including certain people in social activities. 😕
- Taking dangerous risks when driving.🚗
- Using drugs or alcohol.🥃💊
You get the idea.
How Are We Put Into These Situations? 🤨
As we grow up we are naturally put into situations where we have to choose between good :thumbsup: and bad :thumbsdown: choices for ourselves. For example, one of your friends forces you to drink saying that "Oh, come on - it's just one beer and everyone else is having one " or simply makes drinks available at a party. And that is when peer pressure is playing hard. However, that is when we should take a stand and go with our gut feeling on choosing what is right for us.
How To Say No??
- Know what’s right. Trust your feelings about what’s right and wrong. Ask yourself, “Is it the right thing to do?” You probably already know the answer. When you know the right thing to do, it helps you stand firm.
- Choose good friends. You’ve probably heard your parent or teachers say “choose your friends wisely”. Peer pressure is a big reason why they say this. If you choose friends who don't use drugs, don’t cut class, don’t smoke cigarettes, and don't lie to their parents, then you probably won't do these things either, even if other kids do.
- Walk away. If you find yourself alone in a situation of peer pressure, there are things you can still do to avoid being peer pressured • You can tell them, "Nah" and walk away. Better yet, find other friends and classmates to hang around with.
- Get advice from an adult. Most of the time adults are always happy to help you so if you face peer pressure that’s hard to handle, get advice from a trusted adult. You can talk to a parent, teacher, or counselor. It can help you feel much better.
- Help a friend. Maybe you notice that a friend is having trouble saying no to peer pressure. You can help by saying, "I'm with you — let's go.”
In Summary
To summarize, clearly say no to what's wrong when you are being peer pressured. You may seem uncool to your friends or may come into an awkward position afterward, but taking that first step of doing what's right could probably save you from many wrong future decisions. And although peer pressure most of the time is negative, sometimes your peers motivate you to give your best in class. So Take it slowly, and try to be your best self in a peer-pressured situation.
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