Peer pressure:?A term we hear about from teachers, parents, friends, siblings, anyone and everyone that?s been encouraged, at some point in their life, to change their attitudes, behaviors, and values in order to fit into certain norms. It?s a struggle we all face at different times for a number of reasons. Peer pressure can come in a variety of forms, and can sometimes influence us when we don?t even recognize it.
Unfortunately, peer pressure begins when we are young and continues to follows us through adolescence and adulthood. It?s one of those things we fall into without even meaning to. Did you ever throw away the healthy lunch your mom packed you in elementary school because all the other kids were doing it? Did you not do your homework just to be ?cool?? Did your favorite color ever change from blue to pink because your friends said blue wasn?t a ?girl? color? These are all subtle forms for peer pressure that you may have experienced as young as six years old.
Conforming in these innocent ways does not affect us as much as the harmful kinds of peer pressure that start occurring in middle school. Adolescence is a stage in our lives when a lot of us pick up habits and behaviors that remain with us for many years. These types of peer pressure are centered on things like alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, eating disorders, and shoplifting; things that teens believe make them popular, attractive, and mature. Girls often engage in eating disorders like purging and starving themselves in order to be skinny and feel attractive to boys. This type of behavior stems from the pressures in the media that center on body image, physical attractiveness, and male dominance.
In general, teens are also surrounded with the idea that their parents are annoying and their friends are cool. Many of us go to our peers for advice about our bodies, our relationships with boys, friends, and family, and what decisions we should make each day. We typically act the same ways our friends act, whether it means eating the same foods, having the same hobbies, having similar attitudes and behaviors, or making certain decisions. The bottom line: our friends affect our actions and our decisions. We can be affected in positive ways or negative ways, depending on who we choose to hang out with and if we choose to conform or to be an individual.
As an adolescent I was significantly influenced by my peers and the things they chose to engage in. In middle school I started to avoid my parents and my sister to hang out with my friends as much as possible. I was easily annoyed with anything my family said to me and I acted as if I was better than all of them. I became captivated with being popular, hanging out with friends, and having boyfriends. I had few hobbies and never really took the time to appreciate anything I had in my life. My attachment to my friends held me back from being an individual and figuring out my talents, hobbies, and personal interests. I became preoccupied with the insignificant things like birthday parties, school dances, flirting, shopping, football games, hanging out downtown, eating junk food and chatting on the computer.
Unfortunately, my conformity and ignorance continued into high school. I continued to spend most of my time with my friends, which is where I inadvertently picked up unhealthy eating habits, laziness, experimentation with alcohol and cigarettes, and a lack of respect for myself. Peer pressure took over my life and I didn?t even know it. I thought this was who I was as a person, and who I would continue to be throughout my life, but I was wrong.
Today I am a happy, healthy, self-confident individual. I have learned to accept and appreciate myself, my body, my family, my education, my health, my friends, and most importantly, my ability to make my own decisions. I want to advocate to everyone experiencing the burdens of peer pressure: do not feel compelled to do or not do anything that makes you uncomfortable. Do not act in any particular way because you think you?re supposed to, and do not pretend to have certain beliefs that are not what you truly think is right. Be your own person and feel proud of yourself every day. It is better to make a decision that brings happiness to you rather than to others. I always say to myself ?those who matter don?t mind and those who mind don?t matter? because it reminds me of the special people I have in my life today. Appreciate and respect yourself, and make sure to always surround yourself with people who do the same.
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Source: http://www.bodimojo.com/blog/ask-a-girl-overcoming-peer-pressure/
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