Cracking the Peer Pressure Code

 “This flavor is amazing!” John stated, inhaling the smoke. “Flavor?” I asked, “Since when do cigarettes have flavors in them?”. “How would you know? You never had one. He smirked. “Simply because they are of no use, senselessly inhaling smoke which does no good.” I replied. “You won’t know what they will do unless you try. Come on, loosen up a bit and try having fun.” Steve, my other friend, urged. “He won’t. He is too scared.” John was trying to get under my skin. “I’m not.” I retorted. “Then try once. Here.” he said, while handing me one. Hesitantly, I took it and put it to my mouth. I took in the smoke. It clouded my mind, but the feeling was exhilarating. It felt good, but I knew it was wrong.

Peer pressure and influence are two different things. Peer Influence tends to be positive whereas peer pressure is inclined to be negative. Here I will be discussing peer pressure as this issue requires limelight to be identified and eradicated. It is not a new concept. Everyone of us faces it at some stage of life, though many of us refuse to accept it. People start to act in different ways just to be the part of a particular group and be socially accepted. And it is not only about the changing behavior but also about the difference in their thinking patterns.

This social issue prevails mostly in the teenage group as they have growing minds which can easily be molded. Peer pressure has varying degrees from influencing one’s clothing and communication style to changing their habits and getting them involved in immoral activities. One starts to see the world through other’s eyes and loses the ability of self-decision making. Major reasons include social acceptance, avoiding bullying, following trends and to have a thrilling life involving risks.

First step in tackling this situation is to identify whether the concerned person is actually suffering from peer pressure or not. It can be identified if a person is acting in following ways.

· Distant from family
· Arriving home late at night
· Is distracted from academics
· Drastic change in attitude
· Acting secretive

There are two situations according to which the tackling tactic differs. First is if you are facing peer pressure the approach you can adopt is saying no and standing up for yourself. If this doesn’t work, change your group of friends and interact with people having similar interests as yours.

The second situation is if the matter has gotten serious and a person has been affected by peer pressure. When you are dealing with a person suffering from peer pressure, you need to make them realize of the mistake they are making. Make them understand the importance of being themselves. They need to be brought to light that their so-called friends, the people whom they have been struggling so hard to please, are not their well-wishers. One who truly cares for you is the person who accepts you for whom you are and respects your opinion and choices. The victims need proper counseling especially if they have fallen into unethical habits like smoking and doing drugs.

Parents can play a major role in helping a child coping with peer pressure issues. They can start by decreasing the communication gap and encourage honest conversations. This would ease off the children, and they will be able to discuss their problems with their parents openly. Moreover, they should keep a familiar with the people their child hangs out with. A constant vigilance on child’s activities is required to keep them safe. If they act strange or are indulged in harmful activities, parents should not overlook it as a folly of youthfulness.

Resources:

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