Dangerous Drawbacks of Peer Pressure

What is peer pressure? Why is it more of a destructive component and not a productive one? Peer pressure is related to the friends and colleagues we spend our time with. College students are a key example in this case. One of your friends may tell you to try drugs because a lot of other people of the same age are doing it. You may not be allowed to be a part of the group if you are not doing so.

Peer Pressure has various drawbacks.  Here are some of them.

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  Leading to substance abuse

It is hard to understand the younger generation these days. For a lot of them, taking drugs, drinking alcohol, or driving a car at a fast pace may be a gutsy act. In terms of facts, none of these acts have any positivity behind them.  Substance abuse of any kind can prove to be very damaging. To start with, the time that should be spent on education or career development is destroyed.

Peer pressure is more of a “follow the other people” act. Substance abuse is taken as a part of fashion statements these days. You are cool and different if you drink or smoke crystal meth. It all starts with most people doing it and then newbies becoming a part of the group. This is where parents come into play and their role becomes quite important.

It is important to keep a check on what your kids are doing irrespective of how old they become. Teenagers are hard to handle because they have the opinion that parents should not be interfering.

• Distraction from academic tasks

The importance of education progress cannot be undermined irrespective of how much advanced we get. Students who put in a lot of effort can get secure employment. Therefore, parents work extremely hard to get their children to reputed institutions. How does peer pressure come into play here?

• Teenagers make friends when they enter an institution and start taking classes. This is when there is the exchange of ideas and a personality is developed. A lot of individuals get fascinated by class bunks, not doing assignments, and having an “I dam care” attitude. Unfortunately, this damages their long-term goals. Not doing well at college or university simply means that your chances of quality professional development go down.

Individuals who are ambitious about doing well make sure that they focus on the correct milestones and spend time on productive things only. Hence, peer pressure can be a spoiling factor in this case.

• Getting involved in risky acts

For younger people, taking risks is a way to reduce the adrenaline rush. More than that, it is an act of peer pressure as well.  Let us consider an example to attain more clarity.

Consider that a boy studies in a college when a group in his class is involved in illegitimate car racing. This group is taken as individuals who stand out and are extraordinary. In logical terms, these acts are simply putting life at risk. However, teenagers do not think in the same way. For them, being cool is not focusing on studies but doing something that seems extraordinary. Now, suppose that this individual is approached to be a part of the car racing syndicate. Initially, he may decline but if exposed to taunts of being scared, he may want to give it a try. This is exactly what peer pressure does.

Again, here the role of parents is very important, and they need to be more supportive and not authoritative. Try to keep a check on what your children are behaving like. If you notice a major change like increased irritation or agitation, try to talk to your child. It is important to communicate with your kid in a smooth way. He or she should be able to discuss anything and everything with you. Such acts develop the confidence level and reduce peer pressure risks as well.

• Confidence shaken

Every individual has a certain ability level. Everyone in the class may not be a position holder. Similarly, everyone does not pass the exams. Intelligence level varies which is why there is a major difference between passing marks and the highest grades.

• If your child cannot score 90 percent, pushing him or her to do so will shake the ability. In this situation, he or she may not be able to perform according to the actual ability as well. Peer pressure performs an attack when a topper tries to undermine him or her mentioning that people who do not score above 90 are complete failures. This can hamper the confidence level even drag the kid to depression.
• Again, here, the communication between parents and children is the difference-maker. You need to talk to your kid and give him confidence. Never ask your kid to be like another student of the same class. Unfortunately, parents exert immense pressure on their kids which creates the same impact as peer pressure.

Solution

Peer pressure is real but that does not mean that you have to succumb to it. You deserve the residential treatment and sober living in the Dallas if you have found yourself to be in substance abuse because of peer pressure.

Conclusion

Peer pressure is a huge problem growing rapidly in our society. Kids try to adopt the wrong tracks only to sound cool and different. Drinking alcohol or smoking weed are simply destructive acts and not positive in any way.

Combating peer pressure is not impossible if your kid knows that it is wrong. A lot depends on the relationship you have with your child. It should be friendly and ooze with confidence. When your kid is not scared of sharing things with you, he or she would never be a victim of peer pressure.