Peer Pressure Is a Cause of Stress in Teens

Peer Pressure is stronger than you think. Our teens spend more waking hours of their days directly interacting with their peers than they do with their family members. This interactive influence is more powerful than the influence of teachers, parents, or other authority figures in the teen's life. These peers with whom teens associate have a dramatic affect on the perspectives our teens hold and the decisions that our teens make.
Today's teens are connected with their peers 24/7. It seems as though most teens are tethered to their mobile multimedia phones. They can text to their friends on a continuous and instantaneous basis, make telephone calls, photo-document their activities, listen to their favorite tunes, and surf the web as they sit in classes, visit restaurants, watch movies, or attend any other events. For many teens, the last thing that they do before turning in at night and the first they do when they awaken is check their messages from their mobile device. Who are these teens communicating with on such a constant basis? Their peers. Trying to fit in to a group of peers can increase the stress in teens.
The peers that a teen surrounds herself with is extremely important for her well-being. When a teen is involved with individuals who are making good decisions and who are involved with positive activities, the teen becomes motivated to follow this positive pattern. But the opposite can also be the case. Peer pressure can have a dangerous and negative effect on a teen who has low self esteem. A teen with low self esteem is more likely to be a follower, who is trying to fit into the group and be liked by its members. A teen with low self esteem may be more likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol, sex, shop lifting, skipping school or other high-risk behaviors. Sudden changes in behavior, appearance, or attitude may indicate that your teen is becoming involved with negative peer pressure. Peer pressure increases stress for these teens. Watch the