Peer Pressure

[Sporadica]

Ok I was with a group of friends at a party once and the non drinking guy was peer pressured into drinking and I had a question

do people really succumb to pressure that easily?

me personally I just wont get peer pressured to do anything

I just say "no, I ain't drinking or smokin your crack" and no matter what I just don't listen to people

I'm more of an independent person and I don't really listen to authority or people imitating authority (bullies and jerks)

[Love.Hate]

Honestly i think it varies on the person, if i dont want to smoke and im with one of my guy mates they are cool with it.. but if im with a girl, i feel a lot more pressured into it, even if they dont say anything different. Its good your independent, and speak your mind. But yes, unfortunetly people do give in to peer pressure quite a lot these days.

[DerBear]

Yes people do give into peer presure like Fran said.

I wont give into it as its my body, my mind, if you give into it once its harder to not give into it the next time a peer presure opertunity comes about.

[mxiii]

some people has weak "standing".
you can't blame them, their afraid of NOT fitting it.
example, fearing they lose their friends,etc
you should stand for what you think is right.
if you don't want to drink,smoke crack,etc , stand by it .
don't change your decision because your friends ask/dare you to do it .
if their really your friends, they would respect your decision =D just my honest opinion

[Quick_Sylver]

Growing up, and even once you're an adult, peers are an almost essential part of your life, whether its just to remind you, "Hey, this person likes to talk to me" when you're feeling down.

To not fit in, to not be in the flow of things, that takes a strong individual to do. And with most children's upbringing today, their pampered lives compared to many, many worse off, they AREN'T strong willed. The world isn't Live or Die if you don't do x thing anymore, so the kids don't really give much of a shit. The kids actually believe their parents will provide for them their entire life. They think its just that easy.

Every moment, every day, kids are under peer pressure which is mostly caused by the media. Think about how many times you hear about so and so breaking up with such and such. Nothing means anything to kids nowadays. That's because they didn't strive for it. And honestly, nothing'll change that unless they go through serious therapy and/or basically completely redo their lives.

Or get a killer reality check that opens their eyes in the form of their friend almost dying from liquor poisoning or jumping off a 4ft high bench and landing wrong, paralyzing them for life because they "thought they could fly" while doing some new drug.

As unfortunate as it is, its the truth.

TL;DR
Yes, people succumb to peer pressure easily.

[Kujiro]

Peer pressure is and would always be a part of growing up.
These pressures exist as long as you are with a clique.

The want to fit in and gel with them would bring people to succumb to things they not normally do.
It's not really about will power, it's how much that individual wants to be involved.

It gets out of control, if the individual get too obsessed, and has consciously taken part in the rat race of standing out among the clique.
In any clique, it's generally the one who's most conscious of his leadership and charisma takes the group to a direction.
When people are trying to flow in a certain direction, advise and concerns would likely be turned with a deaf ear. Most out grow bad ones as they grow, sadly some don't.

These forms of pressure need not take in solely negative forms, it could be a sport, a hobby an interest as well.
Most importantly I'd suppose would be to have different cliques, to maintain a balance of the influences around us.

Cheers
*smile*

[kyleD]

unless someone is holding a gun to my head or is about to stab me then i won't get peer pressured into drinking or smoking

[Short Circuit]

I think there is way too much peer pressure now, got to wear this certain type of clothes, dont go with that crowd, go with this one and such like.

Its like your not allowed to make up your own mind anymore.

Sucks being a teenager atm

[Kujiro]

I think there is way too much peer pressure now, got to wear this certain type of clothes, dont go with that crowd, go with this one and such like.

Its like your not allowed to make up your own mind anymore.

Sucks being a teenager atm

Peer pressure is not just existant in teenage life, i believe it transcends to adulthood and society life as well.
Its something more dorminating in a teenager's life as they mingle around more with different crowds and cliques.

Cheers
*smile*

[watsonleo]

The big mistake is that peer pressure is a purely negative force. It is as strong as a force for good. It is also a powerful tool that anyone can use to solve difficult problems. There's a New Year's resolution can not be better saved if we decide to work effectively with other people who are doing the same. We need people to give us support and makes us responsible. But the pressure is useful in a broader way. It is crucial for the creation of activists, people who will make major changes in their society.

[superstar2067]

It does vary for person to person, I myself have succumbed to peer pressure to take a drag of a cigarette, I don't regret it.

[Surferchic2362]

Peer pressure doesn't exist. Either you don't want to do it or you want to but your scared or nervous about doing it. Society has laballed all these terms; ADD, ADHD, peer pressure just to name a few. None if these are disorders.