Peer Pressure- Where It Starts?
Ever caught yourself trying a trend only because that new friend of yours talks so much about it? Ever forced yourself to go to a party because all your friends were going, when you desperately wanted to stay at home? Ever watched a TV series just to keep up with what your friend circle was talking about? You have? Then you have certainly been influenced by peer pressure before, which quite literally is the pressure to do something because your friends or peers are doing them.
Even if your answer to any of these questions is yes, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Most teenagers, and even adults feel pressured to do things they may not want to do but end up doing because of their peers. More often than not, we do not even realize that we have fallen prey to peer pressure, because we start experiencing it at a young age and are too oblivious to the fact that we are indeed being influenced by our peer group to work on it.
It is true- peer pressure starts at a young age, and research shows that it often begins at or before the age of 9. Under the age of 9, most children make friends when their parents introduce them to other kids and so the parents can easily trace back certain behaviors in their children to that of their peers. But as they start making their own friends and get into groups that they feel more included in, things can get a little bit different, especially during the teenage years.
Depending on who you ask, the teenage years can be called the golden years or the dreaded years, but one thing is for sure -the friend circle during these years deeply affects us throughout our life. Whether we choose to change ourselves to conform to our group’s norms or remain the same becomes increasingly obvious at this point of growing up. But if you have caught yourself changing aspects of yourself to fit in, then it’s not too late to get yourself back. Sure, nothing can be undone, but take that path to find a new you that radiates “you” in every way!
Urja is a fun-loving, energetic teen with a passion for writing and believes in having healthy discussions about various topics to gather perspectives. She wrote her very first poem in the fifth grade and has been writing poems and articles ever since. She also loves to read books and watch films and give her critical analysis on each scene, thanks to her English teachers. She landed the opportunity to write for UpTurn, which she thoroughly enjoys. She can’t wait to see what else comes her way in her literary journey.
