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. I chose this topic because I wanted to bring awareness to something that’s pervasive in our society. Peer pressure is something that can happen to anyone: kids, teenagers, adults, and surprisingly older people too.
A fact that is not commonly highlighted is that peer pressure is not limited to negative impact; it can also yield positive results. There are many types of Peer Pressure, to name a few: Positive, Negative, Spoken, Unspoken, Direct, Indirect, Sexual Activity and Adolescent peer pressures. When people hear the phrase Peer Pressure, the first thing that comes to mind is very bad behavior that is not to be copied by another – that is all parents, teachers, and guardians say to us these days and that is why I am here to change the narrative. People seem to forget that there are several types of peer pressure.
We live in a world where there are barriers that are needed to be broken down by our minds, but we’re so focused only on our outer strength. We live in a world where they tell us that peer pressure makes you lose your identity and your roots; where they tell us that peer pressure is so bad that it is the reason why we drink large amounts of alcohol, take in bad drugs, smoke, and become promiscuous. We live in a world where bad things are only caused by our peers and not by ourselves. I say it is time to change the narrative; there are always multiple sides to everything.
Peer Pressure is very important to our growth as a society. It can help us to find who we are, see ourselves for who we can become, and how capable we can be. Do you remember the time you saw your peer and said “If she/he can do it, I can do it too,” or when you said “I can achieve better that that person” – that is Peer Pressure. It helps us better our lives in so many ways that we cannot imagine. There are a lot of people who say friendly “bullying” made them leave their worst behaviors and I am one of them.
Peer Pressure sometimes brings out the best version of ourselves, shows us that we can be phenomenal in many ways, and enlightens us that we can be unique. We get inspired by our peers and we think it is something else but it really is simply Peer Pressure. Most teenagers nowadays are closer to their friends than their parents or family members. This is not necessarily a bad thing, yet parents punish their children for that. Once upon a time, we were all children, we all passed through the desire of wanting to fit in or be cool or seen; it’s not a crime. Let us change that mentality because that desire runs in our veins and seeks our bones and flesh.
What we should do instead is to intentionally surround ourselves with people that inspire us and value who we are, people who we have similar or dissimilar goals with but generally share the same mindset. Peers that bring the best out of us, push us to be great, have our back, look after us, make a way when there’s no way, love God as we do, make us to come out of our comfort zone when needed, and not peers that show us forbidden fruits.
Peer Pressure is something we all experience, knowingly or unknowingly, it is something beautiful but bad at the same time and we need to be aware of it every single day. Peers can help peers build one another’s confidence and self esteem. In this way we can create a better society and tomorrow.
I, Susan Zoey Talawally, will be very pleased to make many people aware.
Authored by: Susan Zoey Talawally
Featured Image by: Stefano Pollio on Unsplash
