Written by: Rushka Sapkota - 29024, Grade VI
Posted on: 02 February, 2023
Each and every person experiences peer pressure. Every human being does, including instructors. Firstly what is peer pressure, Peer pressure is basically the pressure your friend gives you. It can be positive or negative. Peer pressure is usually linked to drinking, smoking, smuggling, etc. Peer pressure always involves teenagers. Adolescence is the main reason for peer pressure. Adolescence is a period between 10 to 19 years.
It's true that everything has a type, and peer pressure is no different. Peer pressure takes many forms : Unspoken pressure, Spoken pressure, Indirect peer pressure, Direct peer pressure, Negative peer pressure, Positive peer pressure.
Unspoken peer pressure refers to the pressure you give yourself by looking at others doing various types of activities when you also want to also do the activities.
For instance, you have a friend group, and your friends all smoke but you don’t so you basically start putting pressure on yourself to start smoking.
Spoken peer pressure affects a peer directly, such as someone forcing another to drink alcohol. Said peer pressure is spoken truthfully instead of keeping it in your mouth.
Examples: An individual who forces another individual to smoke, drink, etc. Or, a peer forces another peer to be involved in cheating in an exam hall
Hearing various types of gossip can cause someone to change themselves via indirect peer pressure. No matter how well they perform, they see each other and begin comparing themselves. Examples: They saw a group of girls walking by. They saw how stylish they all looked, so now they want to dress like them.
Direct peer pressure is the pressure a group directly tells a person to do. Like forcing them to drink, someone makes you do things you do not want to get involved in, etc.
Just like direct and indirect there are positive and negative peer pressures. Not every pressure is harmful, some of them are for your own good. Positive peer pressure can be defined as the putting of pressure on someone for their own good.
For instance, pressuring someone to take the right path, pressuring someone to open up more (if they are an introvert), or pressuring someone to read for their own good.
Negative peer pressure occurs when someone pressures you to do harmful things that aren’t healthy for your mental and physical health. The pressure you receive isn't for your benefit, but for theirs. Examples: Pressuring someone to harm someone else or themselves, pressuring someone to get in a fight etc.
