As a woman, have you ever been told you have a timeframe? They say, ‘If you’re not 30 and have kids, you’re too old. If you have kids at 40, what kind of mom are you?’ That applies so much all the time.
You get married, you have to have kids, you have to be a mom. When you turn 20 you may feel this impatience to have everything figured out or say I must have kids I want them. But in your 30’s you start questioning if that’s something society’s told you to do or if it’s something you’ve really wanted.
From a young age, girls might face pressure to conform to different standards like body image or appearance. Or academic performance, and social status. Even comparing yourself against your peers. Now boys are set with their challenges. Some boys look to be in shape or have masculinity.
Doing lots of risk-taking things and behavior. Boys are expected to excel in sports and physical activities, while girls face more pressure to excel academically. Boys and girls face peer pressure from different substances or are more likely to participate in delinquent behaviors.
Camila Coronel states, “People can’t obligate you to do something that you don’t want to do but sometimes they do it to look right or fit in. If not you would lose a friendship or trust in that person. In some way, you have fit in.”
While boys are more likely to engage in those behaviors. With social media both boys and girls experience peer pressure, but girls are most likely going to compare themselves to others and have negative emotions about it.
There is also more pressure than women put on men to know what they want immediately. Let’s say if you go on a first date or barely know someone there is an expectation to think “If he wanted to he would, if he really liked you he would do this, do this, do that, and invest in you.”
If a guy showers you with gifts and these huge dates he might think he’s doing too much. Overall girls are expected to be more caring, empathetic, and nurturing which makes them more open to peer pressure related to relationships and others.
Girls are encouraged to be more emotionally aware and supportive than boys. Andrea Davila says, “I think age influences a lot on the emotion and attitude and the emotions of men and women. The women take it to heart and it affects them. With a man, they think they are more and don’t take it to the chest.
Boys face pressure to be more tough or aggressive. They face pressure to be more emotionless or stoic. Boys may feel overwhelmed by peer pressure while some others can be more resistant. In conclusion, boys and girls face peer pressure. It’s good to promote open communication to help young people guide them through the challenges of peer pressure.
