Wanting to be more like your friends is a normal part of growing up. Every other kid in a desire to fit in indulges in the activities that their peers are involved in. It makes them happy as they feel accepted in a big social group. True peer pressure has become a big part of teenagers’ lives and all of us have dealt with it at some point in our lives. But what is the first thing that comes to your mind when someone says “Peer Pressure”?
A majority of people are of the opinion that peer pressure compels people to do things against their own will. By succumbing to peer pressure, people take a wrong decision which may land them in serious trouble. However, there is always another side of the coin. Peer pressure cannot be always termed bad. Recent studies have shown that in certain situations peer pressure can also have a positive impact.
It is needless to say how influential peer pressure can be on an individual. As teenagers and young children are more prone to peer pressure, a positive peer pressure can influence their thoughts as well as actions.
Let’s read further and examine how peer pressure can have a positive impact and lead to self development.
If properly harnessed, peer pressure can inspire you to be more focussed and determined individual. Observing the actions of peers and seeing how hard they are working to achieve their goals definitely motivates you to do better. It affects your performance and you would put in twice the time and energy to step up your game. You will be compelled to work hard and strive towards achieving your goals.
Some peers prove to be a positive role model for teens and plants a seed of inspiration that paves way for future growth. Having a role model can develop a sense of self in you as you can imbibe good qualities from them. It can also help you gauge your own performance, analyse yourself and contemplate on your ways of life. When you’ll find your friends doing well, you’ll find yourself also following suit. This would further help you focus on academics as well as take part in other activities. Further, peer pressure influences your behaviour greatly. Being surrounded by positive people will give you more opportunities to involve in healthy activities, make good decisions and look at the bright side of things.
However, amidst all this role of parents cannot be subsided. A healthy involvement of a child with their peers depends a lot on the parents. What parents fail to understand is that children spend much of their time away from home in the company of their peers. Parents should thus create and nurture a strong bond with their children. They should instil a strong sense of conscious with ethical and moral values in their kids. Along with building their self confidence they should work towards developing a sense of decision making ability in their child. A child who can take his/her own decision is less likely to let others decide for him/her. Children should be taught to be assertive and stand up for their beliefs. They should set good examples for their kids as they learn more from what they see than what they hear.
True, role of peers carry more weight and power than the parents. Parents should thus stay positive as positive and constructive forces around your child can serve as a catalyst for his/her change and growth. Peer pressure can benefit your child in umpteen ways, shape their personality and lead them to make right choices in life. It can develop their poor self esteem and expose them to new and challenging environments. Apart from that positive peer pressure also boosts learning and with that better grades. When kids find their friends scoring well, they feel competitive and want to be seen at the same pedestal. It motivates them to study hard which in turn increases their efficiency and productivity. In addition to that, interacting with such students polishes their communication skills, helps them set future goals, and gives them an all new perspective to look at things.
Having said that, though peer pressure has both negative and positive attribute to it, what is important is how you look at the same. A constructive, goal setting, positive thinking group of peers are indeed good for self development.
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