What is peer pressure? Is it all bad? Why do some people succumb to peer pressure, while others just shrug it off?
Peer pressure isn't complicated, it is simply the influence from members of a peer group. What's so complicated about that? Well........................! Complicated - NO, it's very easy to understand, Complex - YES! Peer pressure is multidimensional & multifactorial, with lots of layers & lots of factors. Peer pressure can be positive and negative, verbal and non-verbal.
Peer groups are not only set in the teenager years, but can be apparent at any age. What about the 5yr old jumping into the pool (with out permission) because she saw her "best friend" jump in? What about the 11yr old not riding his bike straight home after school because his buddy said "come to my house first, it's on your way home". What about the new mum whose baby wont breastfeed and she feels the need to persevere in fear of being judged by her mother's group?
Are there times when peer pressure is good? What about the girls whose friends "force" her to try out for the school play because they think she is good, but she herself has no confidence. Can being safely challenged outside your comfort zone be a good thing??
For many people peer pressure has a negative impact on their life. Many people, both adults and children, don't have the confidence or skills to work through the pressures imposed on them by their peers, nor do thy have the capacity to step outside their comfort zone.
As the old saying goes; knowledge is power. Understanding what is true and what isn't, understanding why one feels the need to succumb to the pressure and understanding how to applying your own positive pressure can help you with this ugly social activity.
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