Peer Pressure, a common occurrence among teenagers, is the influence of peers on an individual, who tries to gain the approval of his/her close ones, especially friends, by performing certain actions. During their adolescent years, teens experience rapid hormonal changes that influence their social behaviour. They may begin to exhibit risky behaviour and carry out tasks that are generally considered to be harmful.
Teens try to understand their role and position in the society and among their peers and friends, and, to prove their worth, they perform actions that would impress others. This enables them to gain approval from society, and makes others value them. Unfortunately, teenagers are often led into performing tasks that are highly damaging for our health, such as alcohol consumption and driving carelessly, and, sometimes, the consequences are lethal.
One of the major problems, regarding the consequences of peer pressure, is that there is a prevalent notion among teenagers that “those who drink, smoke, or use drugs, typically enjoy an elevated status among their peers”. Thus, to earn this elevated status and seek acceptance from others, they do things that they normally wouldn’t, as they know that the consequences could be unpleasant.
Effects of Peer-Pressure on risky behaviours:
Substance abuse:
Teens usually start showing signs of risky behaviour when they are in their early adolescence (Blote, Miers, & Westenberg, 2016). This is when they start smoking, using drugs, and try alcohol for the first time (Blote, Miers, & Westenberg, 2016). They are encouraged by their peers, and, if they refuse, they might get excluded from the social group (Blote, Miers, & Westenberg, 2016).
Individuals, who have been diagnosed with “Social Anxiety Disorder” (SAD), are more likely to start smoking earlier, as they realise that they are not doing well socially, and they hope to “improve their social status and be a part of the peer group.”. (Blote, Miers, & Westenberg, 2016).
During an epidemiological study that involved teens and adults of ages 15-54, it was found that over 40% of the respondents, with social phobia, had a substance disorder: (31.9% for Nicotine, 19.4% for alcohol, and 7.5% for drug use) (Blote et al., 2016). However, it is not necessarily true that every individual, who has been diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder, will have a substance disorder (Blote et al., 2016). Many socially anxious people avoid going to parties due to the fear of interacting with people, and, as a result, they are not encouraged by anyone to consume alcohol (Blote et al., 2016). Thus, socially anxious people “fear that their behaviour when drinking alcohol or using drugs might result in negative evaluation by others. They therefore abstain from using it.”(Blote et al., 2016).
According to the US Surgeon general’s 2012 report on smoking among teens as well as young adults, “teens and youths whose friends or siblings smoke are far more likely to use tobacco themselves.” (“Peer Pressure”, 2012). Adolescents are also actively encouraged by those whom they consider by those whom they admire, and, as a result, they try to mimic them and their actions. (“Peer Pressure”, 2012).
Erin, a high school student from California, once caught her friends using drugs, and was eventually encouraged by them to try, what their friends called, “crank”, a slang word for methamphetamine (Kowalski, 1999). After being addicted, she had to quit to school and stay at a drug rehabilitation centre. (Kowalski, 1999).
Other Examples of risky behaviours, due to Peer-Pressure:
Nick, a young teen from Minnesota, developed a habit of hanging out with dangerous gang members as he liked and preferred their company (Kowalski, 1999). Eventually, he was stabbed by members of the other gang as he was considered to be a member of the enemy gang (Kowalski, 1999).
Erin, a high school student from California, once caught her friends using drugs, and was eventually encouraged by them to try, what their friends called, “crank”, a slang word for methamphetamine (Kowalski, 1999). After being addicted, she had to quit to school and stay at a drug rehabilitation centre. (Kowalski, 1999) After being addicted, she had to quit to school and stay at a drug rehabilitation centre (Kowalski, 1999).
A Kaiser Family Foundation research found that many adolescents, of both genders, have felt being pressured to engage in sexual activity before they wanted, or felt ready to- “about one in three males as opposed to about one in four females” (“Peer Pressure”, 2012).
Causes behind the prevalence of “Peer-Pressure”
It is widely accepted that individuals from this age group this age group does not have the capability to make rational decisions. Different regions of the brain develop at different times, and the regions that are involved in much simpler processes develop faster than the frontal cortex, which is the decision-making region. In fact, our brains do not resemble an adult brain until we reach our early 20s. The decision-making process involves a chemical, “Dopamine”, which transmits signals that make us feel happiness. Since the number of brain receptors that interact with this chemical is higher in adolescents than in adults, they are more likely to respond strongly to rewards and compliments. (“Science”, 2016, p. 18)
According to the “The science of decision making and peer pressure” (2016, p. 18), “Feeling rewards more strongly and responding more intensely to what peers may think means there are biological reasons for why teens decide to do things with their friends that they would never do on their own”. In a research experiment that was conducted by Steinberg, a group of adults and another group of teenagers were asked to play a video game in which they were required to drive a vehicle. While playing the video game, they were told that they could earn more money if they drove faster. However, driving faster could result in an accident. (“Science”, 2016, p. 18+)
It was observed that, while being with their friends and peers, teens drove faster and were taking more risks than when they were alone. While alone, they hardly took more risks than the adults who were also playing the same video game. Even though these teens were not allowed to communicate with their friends, they drove the car faster in their presence. The study concluded that “the presence of peers made the reward of earning money by driving faster feel more intense”. (“Science”, 2016, p. 18+)
Adolescents view their friends as both, a reward, as well as a source of motivation that encourages them to “seek more rewards”. For most adolescents, being around their peers makes them more sensible to compliments and rewards. According to Steinberg, one of the researchers who observed this experiment, “Real life driving scenarios are not much different. Statistics prove that, while being with a friend, adolescents drivers are 2.5 times more likely to take risks, and almost 3 times more likely to take similar risks, if there are multiple peers in the car.” (“Science”, 2016, p. 18).
According to Lauren Shaw, a licensed clinical psychologist at the Arlington center, Illinois; in order to make ourselves a part of a group, we (especially adolescents) often refrain from expressing ourselves, and do what others tell us to do, just to gain recognition as a part of the group (Deppe, 2015). Doing something dangerous, to prove one’s worth, and to be accepted by peers, is more important to us, as not meeting their expectations may lead to ostracism from a group, and we, humans, value friendship (Deppe, 2015, p. 26).
Works Cited
Blote, A. W., Miers, A. C., & Westenberg, P. M. (2016). Adolescent Social Anxiety and Substance Use: The Role of Susceptibility to Peer Pressure. Child Development Research.
Kowalski, K. M. (1999, September). How Peer Pressure Can Affect You. Current Health 2, a Weekly Reader publication, 26(1), 6.
Deppe, M. (2015). Just say no? How to handle peer pressure, pushiness, and the pull of the crowd: the peer pressure we felt as kids is long past. You’re so over it. Right?. Vibrant Life. 31.4. Pages 26+.
Peer Pressure. Gale Student Resources in Context. (2012).
The Science of Decision Making and Peer Pressure. Science World/Current Science.(2016). 72.9 Pages 18+..
Issues that Adolescents Face 