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“PEER PRESSURE” “ Toddlers are more likely to copy the actions of a crowd than those performed by one person”(Williams) . Some people use the saying “peer pressure” to refer to the ways that groups influence their members to do certain things they sometimes don’t feel comfortable with. However, peer pressure isn’t always a bad thing. Many of the ways that peers influence each other do not take the form of direct pressure or encouragement. People may doing what the groups is doing without realizing that they are doing it. Therefore, some experts suggest that peer influence is a better term for this social force than peer pressure. Peer pressure and other types of peer influence can be somewhat strong for teenagers. “People are influenced Research has shown that teenagers are much more likely to take part in risky behaviors, such as drug use and sexual activity, if their friends do. “When we think of peer pressure, we think of teenagers and the reasons they start smoking or drinking,”(Haun) Peer pressure is made to seem like a negative action but it is not completely true,Some kinds of peer pressure are positive.Certain groups may encourage teens to excel in school, sports, and other activities. They may also discourage members from taking part in harmful behaviors.Peer pressure also has positive and negative effects on groups. On the positive side, it creates similar standards of behavior to help group members interact. It also strengthens group ties by giving members a common social identity. However, peer pressure can harm the group. When all members think and act alike, the group does not have access to other opinions that might help it solve problems.Research by experts revealed several factors that tend to strengthen peer influence. For example, people are more willing to accept group standards when they care little about an issue. They are also more likely to adopt the views of others who are socially similar to them. In addition, groups have more influence over individuals who really want to belong to the group. Gangs, fraternities, and professional societies use this principle to make new members follow their codes of behavior. Peer Parents can affect their children’s thoughts and actions in several ways. For one, they can promote strong values that steer their children away from harmful behaviors. Teenagers are more likely to resist peer pressure when they care deeply about an issue. Parents can also help their children develop self confidence and self esteem, which strengthen the ability to resist peer pressure. Finally,parents can help their children by being interested and involved in their daily lives. Children with strong family bonds are more likely to choose friends who do not engage in risky behaviors.Teenagers can also help each other resist peer pressure. Studies have shown that people are more likely to go along with a particular activity if they think the whole group is in favor of it. If just one person expresses disapproval of the behavior, it becomes much easier for others to speak out as well. It is even possible for one or two people to affect the behavior of an entire group if they express their beliefs consistently, clearly, and
As a teenager we are all looking to be accepted by our peers and will do whatever it is they want us to so we can be accepted. That is to say the feeling of needing to be accepted by ones peers is done consciously; the person starts to do what their friends do without thinking about it. (Teen 3) In fact, teens are more likely to be affected by peer pressure because they are trying to figure out who they are. (How 1) Therefore, they see themselves as how their peers would view them so they change to fit their peer’s expectations. (How 1) Secondly, the feeling of needing to rebel and be someone that isn’t who their parents are trying to make them be affects them. (Teen 2) Thus, parents are relied on less and teens are more likely to go to their peers about their problems and what choices to make. (How 1) Also, their brains are not fully matured and teens are less likely to think through their choices thoroughly before doing it. (Teen 6) Lastly, how a child is treated by his peers can affect how they treat others; this can lead them into bullying others who are different. (Teen 3) Consequently this can affect a teen into doing something good or bad; it depends who you surround yourself with.
It will help them do better in school and accomplish life goals and dreams. Adolescents know the right response to say no when they are being peer pressured.
Children create peer groups to gain a sense of belonging and acceptance, alongside with socializing with others who have common interests, jobs, or social positions. At a young age, peer groups show children what is considered acceptable behavior around his or her peers and what is deemed unacceptable behavior. In certain social groups, there are role expectations that people have to be met. When in the peer group, often children will influence each other to engage in appropriate behaviors that can be seen as right or wrong.
One should remember that not all peer pressure is bad, although that is mostly what you see today. Good peer pressure needs to be done more, because why would you want to make someone do something bad, instead of helping them do something good and impacting them, because honestly who would want a worse world rather than a better one? Truly the way to improve our lives as human beings lies on peer pressure, it is at the core of ways we can make a change for a better, and not more for the
Gormly, Kellie B. "Peer Pressure - for Students and Adults - Can Be Positive." TribLIVE.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.
One of the most important reasons of teenage drug usage is peer pressure. Peer pressure makes drugs seem popular, makes you have a fear of being an outcast, and since everyone is doing it, it is the "cool" thing to do…right? Wrong. Peer pressure represents social influences that effect adolescents, it can have a positive, or a negative effect, depending on person's social group and one can follow one path of the other. We are greatly influenced by the people around us. In today's colleges, drugs are very common; peer pressure usually is the reason for their usage (www.nodrugs.com 1). If the people in your social group use drugs, there will be pressure a direct or indirect pressure from them. A person may be offered to try drugs, which is direct pressure. Indirect pressure is when someone sees everyone around him using drugs and he might think that there is noth...
“Peer Pressure: Its Influence on Teens and Decision Making.” 2008. Teacher Scholastic Journal. Retrieved 2008. (http://headsup.scholastic.com/articles/peer-pressure-its-influence-on-teens-and-decision-making).
The emergence of peer groups in elementary school aids children's development by providing positive friendships, relationships, and social support, Killen adds. The downsides include the undue influence of a group when it imposes unfair standards, especially on outsiders, or members of "outgroups," which is what is often created when peers form an "ingroup."
Social influence/peer groups were one of the dominant themes in my observations, survey, and literature. Social influence looks at how individual thoughts, actions and feelings are influenced by social groups (Aronson, 2010).The desire to be accepted and liked by others can lead to dangerous behavior. College life can be an overwhelming experience for first time college students and or transfer students as they struggle to manage class time and social activities in an attempt to fit-in in the new environment that they may not be used to. Students can experience too much anxiety and drop out of college or fall behind classes. Working at the Cambell Student Union information Center, I observed a great deal of students falling into this trap of social influence and peer pressure. A female student tripped as she was going up the stairs to Spot Coffee but did not fall. What appears to be a group of guys who are not popular (guys who are not very well known), were seating where popular students normally seat. The group of guys started laughing at the girl and stopped. One guy kept laughing, but it was obvious he was forcing the laughter as to purposely attract attention. He started making jokes about the girl and carrying on the laughter so he would appear to be funny. Another example, which portrays peer influence, involves parties over the weekend. Multiple students stated they were falling behind in classes on the grounds of their friends wanted to go out the night before and they did not want to seem/appear “lame” so they tagged along. The influence of a group is intensified by the person’s desire to be an accepted member of the peer group. To achieve this desire he tries to conform in everyday to the patterns approved by the grou...
... instead of following the majority. The issue of peer pressure can relate to teens, as they are in constant pressure to be ‘cool’ or to be in the ‘in’ group. It does not really promote individualism, so people cannot develop their own ideas but rather follow the leader of their group.
However, peer pressure depends more on who the peers are than the pressure that comes from them. In other words, the negative effects of peer pressure can only be blamed on those who act as bad influences. So, it follows that the type of people we surround ourselves with determines whether our experiences with peer pressure are positive or negative. If we surround ourselves with good influences and people who share our values, it is more likely that the peer pressure that we are affected by will be beneficial. It is not peer pressure itself that can be dangerous. Rather, it is the people who are around
“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” (Dr.Seuss). Society often thinks of peer pressure as a negative implement. Often times the community imagines peer pressure as teen influencing one another to experiment with drugs, alcohol, and sexual intercourse. But really all peer pressure is, is the encouragement of changing values and behaviors of an individual. Peer pressure can be thought of as positive for teens, because it allows and individual to become a leader in an environment, strong encouragement to work hard in school, and lead a healthy lifestyle.
Children grow up and move into teenage lifestyles, involvement with their peers, and how they look in other peoples eyes start to matter. Their hormones kick in, and they experience rapid changes in their minds, and bodies. They also develop a mind of their own, questioning the adult standards and need for their parental guidance. By trying new values and testing ideas with peers there is less of a chance of being criticized. Even though peer pressure can have positive effects, the most part is the bad part.
Peer pressure can be both a positive and negative influence and will challenge us do things whether they are right or wrong. This is left for you to determine. Peer pressure can influence several areas in your life like; academic performance, who you choose for friends, it can influence who you mat choose for a boyfriend or girlfriend, it can influence decisions about sex, it may change your feelings about alcohol and drug use, and it can even determine your fashion choice.
Everyone at one point or another has desire to fit into a group, whether it is friends, or something else. This is in our nature and this is what makes us humans. In whatever group they are, they wanna feel secure and have a sense of belonging to that group. But what if one’s so called friend betrays the individual or start doing things which are wrong and force the person to do it with them? This is what negative peer pressure is - trying to mess with the minds and forcing them to be an acquaintance with something which is illegal and wrong.