We have all been told that there are two kinds of peer pressure. We have been told that there is a ‘good’ kind of peer pressure and a ‘bad’ kind. But in reality, they both affect us in different ways.
The ‘good’ kind of peer pressure is when people pressure you into doing something good. While the ‘bad’ type is when people pressure you into doing something bad or wrong. We all have different definitions of what good and bad mean so this is going to look different for everyone. When asked ‘how do you think peer pressure affects you?’ Jahariah Flores, senior, says “I don’t let it affect me anymore. But when I was in middle school it was a big problem for me. I always felt like I had to fit in.”
The actions that we participate in during high school and college can have a huge impact on our future selves.
For example, when we have friends who force us into facing our fears or trying something new like cooking or volunteering, we will be better for it in the long run. Or when we have friends who force us into doing bad things such as lying, sneaking out, stealing, cheating, or abusing substances, we will have to face the consequences of our actions.
When asked ‘how do you think peer pressure affects you?’ Jadalyn Alava, junior, responded “I don’t let peers pressure me into doing anything that I don’t want to partake in. But I do understand how peer pressure can be a problem, I think it comes from a want or a need to be socially desired or favored, forcing people into these unrealistic yet favored standards.”
When we look at this from a long-term perspective we can see how this will affect us.
When you use and abuse your life, relationships, and substances, later in life (if you change your ways) you may end up with a fear of consequences and a fear of letting people down. You can feel guilt easier and more forcefully. You may distance yourself from family members and have to live with the loneliness and knowing the fact that you cut those ties yourself.
We can also see how positive peer pressure can affect us in the real world.
You will have a better understanding of fear and how to conquer it. You may also be able to look at life with a better lens because no matter what you do at least you tried it. Failure is only a bad thing if you make it one. You could choose to look at it as if it were another opportunity, a second chance, a whole other world that you have yet to explore.
Long-term peer pressure can have a multitude of effects, from good to bad, from better to worse. But above all, in reality, they both affect us in different ways, from our mental health to our future. The real difference is made when you decide whether or not to let it affect you.
