Content Writer– Hira Ijaz
Peer pressure is just one of the many difficulties that modern students must deal with. So, what really is peer pressure? It’s a term often used to describe individuals of the same age group, experiences, and interests who have the ability to persuade others to act in a particular way. When discussing undesirable behaviors, peer pressure is typically brought up, however this isn’t always the case. Peer pressure can occasionally have a good impact as well.
Peer pressure can come from friends, family, social media groups, and other people in your immediate vicinity. Humans tend to imitate the behaviors they find appealing. It’s not uncommon, for instance, to follow one’s role model. Children are normally impacted by their parents while they are young. Since they don’t truly understand what is healthy for them at that age. Parents choose playgroups and sometimes even friends for their kids.
However, students who are starting their academic careers find the new life fascinating. They have the autonomy to select their own pals and they try to explore this new life by making more and more new friends. Students who spend a lot of time together grow close and behave similarly over time. Some learn good habits from their new acquaintances, while others are attracted to rather bad qualities. The following are the positive and negative impacts that peer pressure has on students:
Positive Aspects:
Students tend to spend much of their time with new friends that they make. They socialize, learn, and hence adopt each other’s habits together on a regular basis. Observing the activities of their friends may persuade them to sign up for a sports team or a quiz contest. If kids set goals for themselves, their friends can support them in becoming competitive learners. Gaining support from their peers to win a debate tournament can be a significant accomplishment for a student, especially if they were previously too nervous to speak in front of large groups of people.
Long-term benefits for a kid might come from positive peer leadership. Having someone to support them can lead to a multitude of opportunities and an increase in self-assurance. Students can develop healthy relationships and improve the school climate by being encouraged to interact with their peers in good ways, such as by showing empathy, support, and collaboration. Parents and mentors also play an important role by providing children with an environment that can build their confidence. Good communication and timely guidance can help pupils from experiencing negative peer pressure.
Negative Aspects:
Bullying: It is often noticed that students are bullied at their schools. They feel under pressure to tolerate maltreatment to fit in a specific group of people.The act of bullying causes a child’s confidence to be destroyed, and they develop a persistent fear of being humiliated in front of others. Bullying, however, can be overcome by maintaining self-confidence and being assertive. Teachers must teach students resilience and coping mechanisms to tackle such situations. Support systems must be in place to assist the students whenever they need help.
Harmful Activities: Peer pressure can push students to indulge into smoking, drug addiction, alcohol consumption, etc. which are harmful to their health. When students are involved in such activities, they grow distant from their families. They keep to themselves and don’t share anything with their parents or older siblings. They take on these actions in an effort to gain popularity among their peers. Anybody who tries to talk them out of these behaviors is seen as their enemy. They even drift off course and fall behind in their academics. Children’s behavior changes should be monitored by parents and teachers, who should intervene if they see that the kids are deviating from the norm. Early education is necessary to instill in students the dangers of substance abuse, smoking, and other lifestyle choices.
Fear of Isolation: Students feel under pressure to fit in with some groups, where they are not even wanted, because of a fear of being left alone, regardless of their personal beliefs. They think that accepting inappropriate behavior is commonplace and that they will eventually grow accustomed to it. Their sense of self is destroyed by this. To fit in with their social group, some students may have to accept cultural or religious traditions that are distinct from their own. If the school where they are enrolled provides a safe space free from discrimination and where everyone is treated fairly, then these problems can be overcome. It is important to instill in students the idea that they can fall for anything if they do not stand for anything. They must thus establish clear limits and refuse to put up with criticism based on their race, religion, or culture.
Fashion and Social Activities: Peer pressure may have an impact on students’ choices about their appearance, attire, and social interactions. They might not like the new trend going on but would follow it anyway to please their pals. They could also feel pressure to live up to peer standards in terms of their fashion sense. In an effort to win over their friends, some students put more emphasis on their social lives than on their studies, which leads to concentration problems and poor academic achievement. Not obtaining good grades can make a student doubt his abilities. If a student is not doing well socially and academically, he will be depressed and will also become the laughingstock for his peers. Students must be taught to balance between their academic and social lives, so they can avoid such situations. They must learn the importance of utilizing their time properly and must abstain from over-engaging in social activities.
Depression: Peer pressure can cause students to injure themselves. They endure ongoing mental and physical abuse, which causes them to suffer from sadness, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and in some cases, even thoughts of suicide. If peer pressure is not addressed in a timely manner, it can seriously damage a student. Due to their sensitivity and vulnerability, children require ongoing support from their elders in order to adjust to this new academic life. Open communication between parents, teachers, and students must be promoted in schools. Developing self-worth, and critical thinking abilities in students can also support them in avoiding harmful peer pressure and making their own, wise decisions.
Educational facilities have an obligation to give pupils a safe, healthy environment in which they can express any wrongdoings without fear of repercussions. In order to make sure the kids are not subjected to harmful peer pressure, parents and instructors need to interact with them on a regular basis.