Friday 13 February 2015

Peer pressure!

Nowadays, teenagers can easily be influenced by other peers. Their peers sometimes encourage and urge them to change their attitudes, values and their behavior. However, do they change because they really want it and feel fulfilled or do they change in order ti fit in a peer group?

First and foremost, peer pressure has negative impacts on the teenagers' lives. Adolescents have to conform to group norms in order to be accepted. They usually hesitate to pursue their interests, therefore, they give up hobbies or exchange them in order to spend time with their so-called friends. In addition, due to conforming to group norms, not only will they feel restricted and limited, but they will also have low self-esteem and will be less confident. Furthermore, teenagers neglect and sacrifice old friends who do not follow the latest trends and the mainstream ( alcohol, fashion, skip class). They even mock and tease them in order to be accepted. Moreover, teenagers have a high tendency to do unusual and sometimes astonishingly risky things in order to belong to a peer group. However, these things might be exceptionally hazardous and tremendously perilous for their health. For instance, they experience drug abuse or they drink alcohol. Last but not least, adolescents might feel ashamed of their parents who are conventional, so they refuse to spend quality time together.

Concerning the ways to handle this phenomenon, there are several steps that could be taken. Firstly, only if teenagers who undergo peer pressure avoid it, will they deal with it. Secondly, their parents ought to encourage them and serve as an example. Additionally, they ought to communicate together and exchange opinions in order to empower their relationship and solve their problems. (In fact, communication with their parents is downright tough and difficult due to the generation gap). What is more, school is another crucial factor in order to tackle this problem. There should be lessons that focus on peer pressure, in which students are able to talk about their experiences and also highlight the importance of being confident and having self-pride.

On balance, I firmly believe that under no circumstances should adolescents base their decisions on other peers' opinions, interests and beliefs. I also reckon that it is essential that they support their own values, thoughts, feelings and preferences in order to feel satisfied and content.

3 comments:

  1. The boys' team got started, wooohooo!!! Way to go, Marineiros!!!

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  2. I would like to challenge the other members of the boy's team to write on the blog. ( like ice -bucket challenge hehehe).

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  3. Let's see what the rest of your team is going to do...

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