John Ray , Week 10 - Peer Pressure Is Powerful
Peer pressure is a powerful phenomenon. It can sway the way people think, act, and even live their life.
I think this stems from our underlying desire to please people. It always feels bad to deny the request of someone, especially people who you aren’t very close friends with or someone you want to get to know more. In a lot of cases, it's easier to find yourself wanting to say yes, or at least doing something different but of the same nature, than just flat out rejecting their request. Like, if someone you weren’t very close with asked you for answers to a homework assignment, you would most likely send it to them or at least guide them on how to do the homework rather than just flat out saying no because you would probably feel bad rejecting their request and you want them to like you. While this is just a minor example, people can also be influenced to do bad things because of the natural desire to be liked by others. For example, a new kid at school might do things they have never done to fit in with popular kids. Humans are naturally people pleasers. Wanting people to like you is human nature. And when we want to feel liked and accepted it's natural to ignore your own feelings and put others first.
This is why peer pressure is so powerful. It is so easy for a person to manipulate someone using peer pressure because of the human desire to make others happy, especially people who aren’t confident or are newer to a group of friends. Like, someone could use another person's want for fitting in to have them be a certain way or do certain things.
So to counter all of these things that can cause peer pressure it is best to not be afraid to say no. If someone asks you to do something and you don’t want to, just say no. It is a lot easier said than done, but overtime it will become a useful skill to have. At the end of the day, it’s your life, you shouldn’t let expectations of other people sway the way you live it.
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I liked the concept of your blog this week and I can see what you mean about the almost oppressive power of peer pressure. Like you said, humans in general are social animals who seek acceptance from their environment even if it goes against their own desires. There is also this social pressure that if you refuse to give in to requests like homework or for help with something completely out of your way, you will be perceived as mean or selfish because you are not willing to do something for other people. I have always thought that I have been good at not falling victim to peer pressure but I think that there are multiple forms of peer pressure that can be more subtle than others. An obvious form of peer pressure is like when being pressured to drink or do drugs which are more easily recognized because we are taught about it in school. The most subtle way of peer pressure, which can be toxic as well as beneficial, is the peer pressure when others around us are succeeding. In an environment where people are taking a lot of AP classes and participating in a bunch of extracurriculars, the trend that I have noticed is that people tend to feel pressured to do more to match those around them, even if it is not explicitly forced on them. This can be interpreted as both good and bad but stands to further support that peer pressure is quite powerful.
ReplyDeleteHi John Ray! I like your blog about peer pressure and people pleasing! I felt that I can relate to the examples that you discussed in your blog. It is so much harder to say "no" to someone you barely even know. It can even worsen if that person makes you feel guilty for even saying no to them. Growing up, I tried to please everyone to the best of my abilities. If someone like a classmate wanted a snack during lunch, I would offer my own since I did not want to feel selfish. Yet sometimes agreeing to things can also led to many negative impacts. Because I shared my snacks with that one classmate, many of my other classmates want to have more of my snacks. If I were to say no, they would then think that I am favoriting other people over them and that I am selfish for not sharing my snacks. Peer pressure as a hold is so power because it can control the decisions and overall thinking of a person. Looking back now, I can definitely say that my experience with peer pressure had changed me to become more of a people pleaser now than what I was before. Thank you for sharing your blog!
ReplyDeleteI love it when social concepts like these protrude into our course. Peer pressure has been slowly given exposure over the years. It still affects people to this day, including me. I like how your blog analyzes how easily peer pressure can be fostered in society. Simple interactions can make people feel peer pressured, such as a group of friends telling someone to do something, regardless if they want to do it or not. Your mention of role models is perfect for your blog. Role models are people that others strive to become. Sometimes, those images of role models are so idolized that others don't see the flaws in them. For example, a role model may do some bad deed, and others, striving to be like that role model, will follow. This is just a small example of negative influences fostered by peer pressure, one that you cover perfectly. Overall, your blog is a perfect representation of peer pressure and its ramifications.
ReplyDeleteJohn, peer pressure truly is powerful. Peer pressure still exists to this day and it comes in many different ways. From simply peer pressuring somebody to do a simple task to doing something drastic, peer pressure is a real issue. I think your blog goes over this overlooked issue well and highlights a huge reason for why peer pressure works. I agree about how people feel bad about saying no. Even for me, when people ask for some of my food, it feels rude to say no. You feel obligated to say yes just out of politeness. This isn't too big of a deal for something small like food, but once people start getting pressured to do things they don't want, it becomes an issue. Peer pressure can make people uncomfortable. Overall, I like your blog and the topic you decided to write about. It goes over a real issue in society that happens to this day.
ReplyDeleteJohn Ray, I think you've really hit the nail on the head with speaking about what could be considered one of the most serious issues plaguing people--especially high schoolers--today. Peer pressure is like a set of dominos, one small action leads to another, and soon people find themselves behaving like a whole new person. Just like you mentioned in your post, actions such as providing homework help to someone can potentially lead to larger issues, such as pressuring someone to drink alcohol, jump off a cliff, or even hurt someone. Your blog leads me to think about numerous movies such as Mean Girls, A Walk to Remember, and in its essence, Finding Nemo, which all highlight just how dangerous peer pressure can be. It seems that society has begun to recognize the severity of this issue, yet we still struggle to combat it. Perhaps it stems from an innate desire to be "perfect," with cool friends, great grades, and above all, a good reputation. But what good is a reputation that lasts for a short amount of time, eventually brought down when consequences catch up to actions? Thinking about it this way, I would argue that peer pressure could almost be seen as a drug, and schools should really place a focus on combatting this problem before a student ruins his or her life.
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