Peer pressure is mounting in our society today, and it's almost out of control. Walk down the hallway at any high school or college, and guess what you will see. Teens and Young adults all wearing the lastest Aeropostle, Abercombie, American Eagle, Jordans, Sketchers, and what ever else has been deemed 'cool'. You'll see them flinching lighters to smoke, you'll see hands trading forbidden'objects' without even a thought. Someone will laugh, and a group of people will echo, for the sake of looking cool, even if they don't agree with what was said.
Teens who normally refrain from such activities will start using drugs or drinking, going to parties, wearing the cool clothes, just becase they want to fit in. Popular television shows will be discussed, as will movies, and you better be in the know or you will be left out. Certain music will be deemed 'cool', and the rest will be called dumb or screechy. Everyone will have an ipod or mp3, or even the rare walkman. Half the students won't even know what a 'walkman' is. Some kids will do anything to fit in, even if they hate being like everyone else. Some girls, and guys, believe that being thin will make them fit in, so they develop eating disorders.Some kids get so depressed and angry because they feel like they don't fit in and they turn to destructive behavours like self injury or drug abuse.Some even go as far as suicide.Just because they want to fit in.
Looking at me generation you have to wonder what we teens are doing wrong. Not that society made us this way, but what a wild bunch we must be.
The problem with peer pressure is that no one wants to be that odd ball. Everyone wants to fit in, and be like everyone else.So school gets put off to hang out and be cool. Going hungry or skipping bill payments to get the coolest fashion may occur. But is there a way to avoid peer pressure? Is there a way to fit in and still be different?
The answer to both questions is yes. The first one has two answers.
So how can we avoid peer pressure? Well firstly you could be the one causing the peer pressure, setting the trend, but stop. You are only giving in to others and following even if you are leading. And secondly, ignore it. It sounds simple, but it's not. You can say no, dress differently but not wierdly, refuse to be one of the crowd, and eventually everyone else will learn that they don;t have to be just like everyone else.We are all different.Which is how it should be. Saying no is hard, when everyone else your age is having sex, doing drugs, getting drunk. It's really hard. But it can be done.
Is there a way to fit in and still be different? Yes, there is. Many ways actually. If your friends won't accept you for who you are, they aren't your friends.Get new ones. Run with a different crowd, be friends with people from all social groups. Dance to a different drum, and you'll be just fine.
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