Is peer pressure a good thing?

Started by Nihilego November 29th, 2011 12:08 PM
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  • 3 replies

Nihilego

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Male
scotland
Seen September 28th, 2018
Posted March 16th, 2018
8,874 posts
12.1 Years
I'm sure we've all had this talk from our parents or teachers. "Don't succumb to peer pressure since you'll fall in with the wrong crowd etc!". But, I'd like to challenge this.

Is peer pressure really a bad thing? It's very true that it can lead to bad habits such as smoking and drinking, and sometimes even drugs. But it has its positives too! If your friends are all getting Facebook, for example, peer pressure will encourage you to get it too, allowing you to be in contact with them more easily. If, at a younger age, your friends are starting to show a greater interest in good hygiene, for example by showering more regularly, then you're likely to do so yourself.

It can teach many social norms which will be useful in life, but it can also be a disadvantage, for example with the sort of things which I mentioned earlier. There's also the argument that it encourages video game addiction, unhealthy eating, and whatever else you can come up with. So, in this thread, discuss if you think it's overall a good or bad thing to succumb to peer pressure.

Also, do you believe that, no matter how hard we try not to, we all succumb to peer pressure in one way or another?
Age 29
Seen November 5th, 2017
Posted November 5th, 2017
3,499 posts
14.9 Years
I don't think it's good. I'm a strong believer of people developing as individuals, and individualism being valued more than conformity.

It's not just about "falling in with the bad crowd" it's about placing the need to impress others above your own beliefs or values, and developing your own personality. Succumbing to peer pressure does nothing but encourage becoming yet another drone who will do anything to fit in. One shouldn't decide to shower just because everyone else is, they should do it because they respect themselves and the learn about the benefits of good hygiene.


Drugs, smoking, drinking, I did all that because I wanted to. Nobody told me too, in fact most of my friends at the time looked down on me because of it. The good route, the bad route, the neutral route, the apathetic route, the bad hygiene/good hygiene, whatever, anyone can end up taking any path regardless of whether those around them are taking the same path.


Yes it can have some positive acute effects, but the deeper impact of learning to just go with the crowd should always be avoided imo. If you just do whatever everyone else does, the negative impacts will outweigh the positive; "most people" are not model citizens. It's okay to change the way you act in front of others for social acceptance, or even to just avoid hassle, that's natural and everyone does it; but having a real need to change your whole personality, actions or way of life only to fit in is just not healthy.


I know if I gave in to peer pressure I'd be 10x more of a **** than what I am now, god forbid.

Shining Raichu

Expect me like you expect Jesus.

Age 32
Male
Australia
Seen October 17th, 2020
Posted December 21st, 2017
8,958 posts
12.3 Years
At its essence, peer pressure is a bad thing. Any sort of "pressure" implies that you're being galvanised into doing things that you wouldn't want to do, and as somebody who can't stand the discomfort when people are trying to force me into doing something, I see it as a fairly evil action to undertake.

However, I think the message the media is conveying to kids and teenagers is a little false and unrealistic. I've heard it so many times. Every time some sort of celebrity or public figure is being interviewed and they're asked if they have any sort of life advice for their fans, it's always the same: "Be yourself, screw what everybody else thinks, life's too short to be somebody you're not." and while that's all well and good, the way life works - especially in high school, where this message is usually targeted - is a lot more complicated than that.

In high school, I took a rather fascinating social studies class and I had this wonderful teacher that always brought up amazing points. We were doing a unit about peer pressure and conformity (which essentially go hand-in-hand), and while the class immediately responded with the stock black-and-white "nonono it's bad peer pressure and conformity are bad things" attitude, she then brought up a really interesting point that changed my view on the matter entirely.

She said, "Well, if there's something about yourself that people don't like and you feel pressure to change that, wouldn't you?" She brought up some incredibly valid points. Generally, conformity makes life in high school one hundred times easier and in the end, high school is something to be survived rather than enjoyed. Why wouldn't you do something to make that easier?

So basically I think there is definitely an argument for peer pressure.
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