Conformity

Although we are aware that what we are doing is wrong, our desire to “fit in” and be “accepted” causes us to go against what may be the option. We often try so hard to be like everyone else, that we ignore our logic and morals. Even in instances where standing up for what you believe in, is as simple as saying yes or no, many seem to find themselves following the most accepted answer. As a teenager who has experienced and witnessed such peer pressure and conformity take place, I agree with Drabble’s statement. I have experienced firsthand conformity to something that I didn’t even enjoy, but chose to engage myself in because I wanted to be apart of the “cool crowd.” As teenagers, we are exposed to the many dangers of alcohol and drugs in our high school years, and we go through a series of friends until we are able to find the right ones. During my sophomore year, I started to hang around the “popular crowd” and as this progressed, I began to neglect time with family and I started to set aside homework in order to hang out with them. Every Friday night we would stay out late to watch movies at someone’s house, and occasionally drink. Although I didn’t even enjoy consuming alcohol or even smelling it, I did it because I had easily given into peer pressure just so that they would accept me into their group. Growing up, I was always told to avoid these kinds of people, but when I was around them, I chose to ignore what was right because I didn’t want to be considered “uncool.” As I grew older, I began to mature and realized that drinking alcohol in order to be accepted was foolish of me. For a long time I hadn’t realized the kinds of dangers I was bringing to my body. Social intimidation destroys our respect for the facts that show conforming is almost becoming a subconscious. Even though we grew up with the “golden rule:” Don’t do anything to anyone that you wouldn’t want done to you, it was once something that was so easy to encourage, but is now almost