Peer Pressure & Tackling It

“Everyone else is doing it, Mom.”

What is Peer Pressure?

Peer pressure is the influence on people by their peers.

• This means that people (like you) change their attitudes or values to conform to those of the influencing group.

Your peers are people around your age who have similar experiences and interests.

Negative Effects of Peer Pressure

Unfortunately, this influence can be negative; this causes stress for you.

Your peers might pressure you into doing something you're uncomfortable with.

Some examples of this are:

• Shoplifting,

• Doing drugs/drinking,

• Driving recklessly,

• Having sex before you feel ready.

Sometimes, this pressure might be explicit.

Example: “Bro, it’s literally just one hit. Juuling once won’t do anything, relax.”

At other times, it is implicit.

Example: everyone’s posting on their Snap stories, so you end up sneaking out to the party at 3am in the morning even though your parents said no.

The Science Behind Peer Pressure

When teens make decisions, this involves a chemical (dopamine) in the brain’s reward center.

• Dopamine transmits signals in the brain that make people feel happy.

• Friends act as a reward and also the trigger that encourages them to get more rewards.

Being around their friends increases teens’ sensitivity to rewards.

• When their peers are present, the already sensitive reward system is even more sensitive.

• In the opposite way, when teens are criticized/rejected by friends, there is a bigger response in parts of the brain that control negative emotions.

I Don’t Really Feel Pressured, Though

Peer pressure doesn’t always have to be bad.

You might not realize it, but you and your friends make decisions every day that are influenced by each other!

1. Look at what you’re wearing right now.

2. Pick up the devices you own.

3. Go on your Spotify playlist and scroll through the songs.

These decisions might not have been directly because of your friends, but they probably have had some influence.

• You might have been inspired by their outfit, been envious of their new iPhone 12 Pro, or been introduced to Keshi by one of them.

Dealing with Negative Peer Pressure

Standing up to peer pressure isn’t easy, but it’s possible.

Here’s some tips from LITE:

• Just listen to your gut.

  • If you know you feel uncomfortable, don’t go through with it!

• Plan, plan plan!

  • For example, think up answers to refuse alcohol like ‘I’m driving tonight’, or prepare a soda from home before going to the party.

• Create an emergency code phrase you can use with your parents without looking lame.

  • Instead of saying “Mom, can you pick me up? My friends are doing drugs.”, you can change that to “Mom, potato.”

• Learn to say "no"!

  • Your friends should be people who will accept what you decide without needing a reason or justification for it.

• Hang out with people with similar belief and values.

  • Choose your friends wisely! If you don’t vibe with the party scene, pick and choose who you’re socializing with well.

• Blame your parents.

  • It’s easy, just say “Bro, if my mom found out, I would never be allowed out of the house.”

Be sure to view and show support on the Instagram post here!

Written by: Caitlyn U.

Designed by: Gizchella U.

Sources

• “Peer Pressure (for Teens) - Nemours KidsHealth.” Kidshealth.org, 2015, kidshealth.org/en/teens/peer-pressure.html

• “What Is Peer Pressure?” Verywell Mind, 2021, www.verywellmind.com/what-is-peer-pressure-22246.

• “The Science of Decision Making and Peer Pressure | Scholastic: NIDA.” Scholastic.com, 4 Dec. 2015, headsup.scholastic.com/students/the-science-of-decision-making-and-peer-pressure#:~:text=As%20a%20teen%2C%20you%20can,Science%20helps%20explain%20why.&text=When%20a%20person%20makes%20a,prefrontal%20cortex%20produces%20rational%20thinking.