Peer Pressure in GenZ

Moving on from the title there is first the peer and then the pressure. Peer is the group you associate yourself with; it could be based on age status, work/academic, social class. Pressure is the weight that comes with being associated; this weight could be both bad and good.

According to Wikipedia peer pressure is the direct influence on people by peers, or the effect on an individual who is encouraged and wants to follow their peers by changing their attitudes, values, or behaviors to conform to those of the influencing group or individual.

This influence could either be positive or negative, maybe sometimes both. Positive as in dropping bad habits, learning honesty and resourcefulness from a friend, and negative doing otherwise, doing everything but what is good for you as an individual, and even the society as a whole. The tricky one is being influenced both ways simultaneously, you could be learning a skill from a friend, and at the same time picking up some unruly behavior from the person.

Most of the greatest influences ever recorded are done subconsciously; just kidding there isn’t a record as such, but we get influenced SUBCONSCIOUSLY! We don’t always know what happens, it just does.

Talking about peer pressure in teenagers and young adults, this time about the negative type of influence because I’m sure you would agree with me on how EASY it is to get influenced negatively than it is positively. ( Why is that though? Why is the bad habits and behavior always so easy to pick?)

I think I know a few reasons:

1. The quest to fit in, not to be the odd one out. Better a Bode with the crowd, than a Bode in the crowd. So Bode will do everything, he might even break himself in the process but the hurt doesn’t mean a thing to him, being accepted is all that matters at that moment. (which could be years by the way)

2. The young spirit in a teenager is restless and relentless. There is so much to do, many more to discover. This restlessness being fueled by an external factor of wanting to do ‘this’ because he’s seen John do it too, you can imagine how relentless he’ll be set on his new goals, even when he knows that what he is doing isn’t good for him, and might I mention we all know what is good and bad very clearly.

Dealing With Negative Peer Pressure

1. Pay attention to how you feel. I mentioned earlier that we all know what is right and what isn’t. Although we try to justify our wrong by giving 101 reasons to excuse, intuition and instinct are always there, If you don’t feel right about a particular situation then it is most certainly not right.

2. Learn how to say no like you mean it. When faced with a situation you don’t feel right with. Refuse to give in, say no like you mean. If it feels like the No isn’t buying you anywhere, you might want to try the next point.

3. Get out. You can get away from the situation that saying no doesn’t solve by walking away or get out of the circle. Just leave. It is could be hard, especially in cases where so much attachment has been made and you could leave with emotional or even physical bruises.

4. Make friends that share the same value as you do. Surround yourself with people who share the same morals and beliefs as you do. It is always better with a person in your corner.

5. Seek support from parents, trusted older ones…

Dealing with negative peer pressure can be very difficult. Negative peer pressure can do a lot of damage to you. It can change you, real quick. Knowing what to do when faced with it is definitely important too.

Do you need someone to talk to? Send a mail to oluwaremilekun.remii@gmail.com