Effects of Peer Pressure

Everyone wants to belong , to be accepted . This is a major reason why teenagers feel pressurized to go along with what others are doing the so called peer pressure.
Teenagers are going through tremendous physical and emotional changes as they change from childhood to young adults . There are new responsibilities to be faced , exams to be taken and of course new relationships to be faced . There is rebellion against the rules and ideas that parents impose and so they flock together almost in desperation in some cases.
As young people spend more time with their peers outside the family home there are opportunities to do things that they haven 't done before such as trying out substances - drugs , alcohol and so on . Young people at this stage in their lives often feel very insecure - are the changes that are happening to them normal ? Why haven 't they got bigger breasts a longer penis , a boy /girl friend and all the rest ? They may even be unsure of their sexual orientation
By giving in to peer pressure and uniting in a common `uniform ' whether of clothing or language they feel stronger and more normal , and meeting with others going through similar problems reinforces their egos , even though this may go against the norms of society in general.
As they mature , obtain jobs , move away from the area in which they grew up perhaps , the effects of peer pressure will diminish . They will hopefully realize that misusing drugs is not a good thing . Gradually , as they become surer of themselves , most people feel able to make their own decisions as to which music they prefer , clothes to be worn , even their opinions on world issues will be less affected by what their friends think or do . They will make their own decisions about taking drugs or getting drunk . They will feel accepted for who they are , what they are capable of , and though peer pressure continues to affect most people to some extent its effects tend to lessen as maturity occurs...

Peer pressure has a very strong influence on our decisions; so it is capable of bringing about great change, whether it's for the good or the bad of the situation or person.
Peer pressure exists for all ages. Pre-teens and teenagers face many issues related to conformity and peer pressure. They are pulled between the desire to be seen as individuals of unique value and the desire to belong to a group where they feel secure and accepted. The result is that often teens reject family or general society values, while feeling pressure to conform rigidly to the values of their peer
Your peers are the people with whom you identify and spend time. In children and teens, they are usually, but not always, of the same age group. In adults, peers may be determined less by age and more by shared interests or professions. Peer pressure occurs when an individual experiences implied or expressed persuasion to adopt similar values, beliefs, and goals, or to participate in the same activities as those in the peer group.
Peer groups have so much influence, especially with adolescents, because, nomatter how inappropriate it seems to adults, belonging to a group really doesgive something significant to the young person. Peer groups provide a placewhere children feels accepted, where they can feel good about themselves, andwhere their self-esteem is enhanced. Some psychologists also point out thatlife become simpler when we conform to expectations. Young people tend to gravitate toward other young people with the same problems and in the same situations as themselves and where they feel they will be understood and accepted.There is a very, very strong need to satisfy that thirst for unity and for acceptance. The feeling of belonging is a very powerful force that can outweigh ties to church, school, family, or community.
In addition to the feeling of belonging and not being alone or socially isolated, some characteristics that peer groups offer which make them attractive and that families may lack are: (1) a strong belief structure; (2) a clear system of rules; and (3) communication and discussion about taboo subjects suchas drugs, sex, and religion.

Read more: http://www.faqs.org/health/topics/76/Peer-pressure.html#ixzz2KMutEDRZ

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