Peer pressure is an issue we all have experienced. Many kids in school want to fit in because they feel like it is a need for them. Moving to new schools make them feel lonely or left out. So they will do whatever it takes to be cool. Some teens think that getting into the cool crowd is impossible unless they do something bad. Adolescents will do whatever it takes to be cool. Major gangs in cities are based on peer pressure. Peer pressure can lead to terrible things like suicide and/or sexual assault. People believe that peer pressure is not that serious since it can be a good thing but I believe that peer pressure is usually bad. It can lead to body harm with drugs, alcohol and sexual assault. It can also lead to suicide. We as people should try to prevent kids from doing this.

When you search up on the online dictionary about peer pressure, what do you see? As you can see, there are several definitions underneath, but in my opinion, I believe that there is only two definitions to peer pressure. According to Dictionary, peer pressure are “social pressure by members of one's peer group to take a certain action, adopt certain values, or otherwise conform in order to be accepted.” Peer pressure can be interpreted in different ways. When teachers teach you about peer pressure, they only teach you bad peer pressure. Bad peer pressure is the type of pressure that can get you into a lot of trouble. Teens, usually in gangs, like to smoke and drink alcohol. Drinking alcohol can lead to consequences that can cause negative outcomes. For example, alcohol can lead to heart and lung infections and also sexual dysfunction which can make males have erectile dysfunction. If you’re thinking of a future with kids, think about what you drink. Teens also like to smoke and do drugs, which can also lead to negative results. Peer pressure can make kids do these things which they will regret in the future.

When consuming alcohol or inhaling drugs some effects take into play. For example, the consumer might like the feeling of drinking. It might feel like freedom to them. However, some teens disagree. When drinking alcohol, teens tend to regret their decision. Some kids think that drinking alcohol is harmless. They want to feel what their friends are feeling. Yet they feel like they shouldn’t have done what they did. Many teens even think that because of this, they don’t feel the same anymore. Sometimes, teens want to hurt themselves as punishment to the point where they can just end their life. After drinking about 82% of teens reported suicidal ideas, 40% have had suicidal plans, and 45% have ATTEMPTED suicide. 62% of teens who injected drugs made an attempt at suicide. Getting influenced into peer pressure can be dangerous since it can be used as a weapon. Sometimes the person wielding this weapon doesn’t even realize it.

Another case of peer pressure is popularity. Have you ever watched a tv show or movie with a school as the main setting? In these tv shows, is there never a popular kid? Even though these tv shows are exaggerated, it can be true. Take the popular kid for one. Almost everyone wants to be like him or her. In the real world, most teens believe that it is a top priority to be the “cool kid” or at least have a popular friend group. For instance, when you move into a new school, you want to try to make friends;you try to do the best you can to fit in. Sometimes, trying to get in these popular friend groups might mean that you have to take risks to fit in. They make you go to parties where drinking and smoking comes into play. Take Finding Nemo for example. Nemo wanted to fit in with his friends but couldn’t because he knew that his dad would get scared since he is overprotective. But seeing his friends go out, he does it as well which starts the movie off.

In 2010, psychologists at Temple University conducted an experiment which had teens and adults from the campus participate in. 40 people were told to wear brain scanners while playing a vehicle simulator game. This experiment was to find out people react when they are driving by themselves or with the same gender sitting beside them while playing four rounds. Half the time they were playing alone; they played while their friends were watching for the other half.“The findings suggest that teenage peer pressure has a distinct effect on brain signals involving risk and reward, helping to explain why young people are more likely to misbehave and take risks when their friends are watching.” When completing the game, the students were awarded with prizes. This made them think that they had to win to get that prize. So in the process of completion, they ran a few red lights and sped through several yellow lights. Knowing that their friends were watching, they ran more yellow and red lights than they did when playing alone. The psychologists then changed the experiment up a bit. Instead of having the same gender watch, they had the opposite gender. The results came out different as they drove more carefully knowing that a girl or boy is watching them.

The psychologists say that from the data they recorded, the chances of getting into a car accident were high. This meant that whenever a teen is behind the wheels, they are more likely to get into an accident with peers the same gender as them. When the friend of the opposite gender watched them play, they played more carefully. This means that in the real world, teens will drive more carefully when they have a girl or boy next to them.
Many teens say that peer pressure is a cheat/an excuse to try such things, and as a result, they end up taking more because they are either pressure to do it or they just like to do it for “fun”.The negative effects are body harm as well as having a poor education. Peer pressure can ruin the chances of young people having a good future. Many teens who are victims to serious peer pressure live futures that do not matter their potential, because past mistakes limit their vocation choices. 

A question that we all might have in minds are, “How do drugs feel like?” Don’t you just want to experience drugs, but not make it harm your body? Having thoughts like these can cause you to be tempted at doing drugs. Kids are pressured into doing these things to make themselves seem cool. But who needs a title for popularity. We shouldn’t encourage teens to do these types of things, it only makes life miserable.

Getting manipulated is related to getting pressured. Manipulation is the exercise of undue influence through mental distortion and emotion exploitation. Basically, manipulation is like to force or to control other people and their actions. I believe that peer pressure and manipulation aren’t the same because getting manipulated doesn't have as bad as effects of peer pressure. For example, a car salesmen can manipulate you into buying a new car.
Majority of people are taught about negative peer pressure and its effects so much that they don’t even think that positive peer pressure exists. Positive peer pressure is when a peer or peers influence someone to do something positive. For example, positive peer pressure is like getting encouraged to go to a good school, or trying to apply for a good job. It’s even possible for someone to be pressured out of doing drugs. The effects of positive peer pressure in school could lead to a good education. You can be able to be motivated by just following your friends with good grades and no trace of bad things in their life. 90% of teens admit to being influenced or pressured by peers. Nearly ¾ say that giving in to peer pressure has boosted their social standing. Which means that peer pressure isn’t always bad. We should encourage positive peer pressure more than negative peer pressure to be successful in life.

Teens today face amounts of conflicts during their social life that can have an impact on the decisions that they make. These decisions are mainly negative which include drugs, alcohol, sexual abuse, violence, etc. Peer pressure can be hard to avoid but there even ways to fight peer pressure. When offered to drink or smoke, stand straight, have a firm voice, shake your head and say, “NO!” then walk away. If your friends keep offering, decline their offer and talk to someone you can trust. Having self-confidence can make the rejections more easier to handle than nervously saying no. Always have a backup statement when in trouble. Tell them why you don’t want to be forced to try such things. Try to be a leader and not a follower. Being a follower means that you do whatever the leader believes to fit in with the group. If it is your friends that are pressuring you to do something, make new friends or at least evaluate them. Look around and find role models that you can hang out with. If there aren’t any, be your own role model!

When an adult, preventing peer pressure is complicated, especially when it comes to teens. Teens can get moody and give attitude so they might not listen. Trying to get addicts to stop isn’t impossible. Start by going slow; restrict teens to one cup of alcohol or one cigarette a day. Then keep lowering the amounts until they eventually stop. But sometimes, it doesn’t work. Having one on one consultations with your kids and telling them the dangers of drugs and alcohol could help. Scaring them could also be a technique that would work every once and a while. Teach kids to say no. Try to bring good influences into the house. For example, some kids see that since their parents drink and smoke, they believe that it is okay for them to do it as well. Try not have alcohol visible around the house. Make sure when your children come home from school or a party, keep them within your sight. Make sure to tell them not to have their doors locked.They could be doing horrible things behind your back without even you noticing it.

To sum up my argument, getting peer pressured to do something could have different results. They can either be good or bad. Peer pressure is a weapon that can't be overpowered and it can’t be taken away. Peer pressure can slip out of your mouth without you even realizing it. So why pressure yourself when you know that being cool is useless. Smoking and drinking may change how you act for four years, but the effects may live on for the rest of your life. Peer pressure can cause teens or even adults to do terrible things like sexual assault. You either end up hurting someone or yourself. Learn to say no. it can be a powerful word when it comes to times like these. Make sure that you can stay positive. Don’t give into peer pressure easily. So make sure to watch your actions because it can impact your future severely.