ProWriters Hub/What is peer pressure, why peer pressure is common , examples and how to handle pressure/by @chiomavia.

Special greetings to all members of steemalive community. Is weekend already, hope you all had a wonderful week. Well, mine was stress free.
Today, I would be writing on peer pressure, what it is and how it can be handled. Do have a great time as you read through my post.

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Peer pressure

Peer pressure is a direct and indirect influence of peers on a person. Peer pressure is the process in which individuals within the same group influence others in the group to engage in a behavior that the would not originally engage in.
A peer is an individual who belongs to the same social group, and age grade as you. They are mostly your friends or people you hang out with.
Regardless of age, anyone could be influenced by their peers. But peer pressure is most seen in young adults, and teenagers. Young people are easily influenced by their peers because they want to have the feeling of acceptance among their friends. Our peers can influence us negatively or positively, it all depends on the type of friends we keep.

• Negative peer pressure: This is a pressure from friends to do something dangerous or bad to yourself or other people. When you see yourself doing those bad things you thought you couldn't do. Then you are been influenced negatively be your peers.

• Positive peer pressure: This is when someone's peers encourage them to do something good and pushes them to grow in a beneficial way.

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Why peer pressure is common

In this era of technology and social media, peer pressure is very common. Almost all adolescent in high school experienced peer pressure. Some are pressured to dress in a particular manner to school. Some are pressured to skip classes in school, some result to stealing in other to meet up with their friends lifestyle .
All these is because people want to be identified with a group of people. They always want to fit in with their friends. They go out of their way to please their peers.

I had an experience during my service year. That day, three of my students begged to use my phone to contact their parents, and I obliged. When they came to the office during break period, the first and second student called their mom, and they spoke in English Language. Then when the third student called her mom, immediately she picked up the call, she excitedly and loudly greeted her mom in Igbo language.
Immediately, the other girls started yabbing her.

"Rebecca so you do not speak English to your mom, oh you are so local"

At that moment Rebecca reduced the tone of her voice on the phone, she tried switching to English language immediately. Well she ended up code mixing because probably she and her mom apparently communicate in their native language.
After that incident, I talked to the girls about their behavior, but i could not help wondering how peer pressure influence teenagers.
Alot of teenagers today choose to do or act in a particular manner because they want to feel accepted and valued by their friends.

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Example of Peer Pressure

I would classify the Examples of peer pressure into positive and negative peer pressure.

Positive Peer Pressure.

• Influence by friends to study hard in school: If you have intelligent friends to study hard to pass exams, you will sure be like them because they would always drag you to the library and night prep.

• Influence by friends to be respectful to elder: When you have well mannered friends that look respect and greet the elders, you will find yourself doing same too

• Hanging out with same business ideas: When you engage with people that have the same business mindset as yourself, the ideas and advice shared will help your business grow and flourish.

Negative Peer Pressure.

• Influence by friends to smoke and drink

• Skipping classes because you want to hangout with your friends.

• Keeping late night.

• Engaging in prostitution.

• Changing your entire lifestyle to please to fit into your friend's.

• Living fake life.

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How to Handle peer pressure.

1. Talk to your parents or guardian: Whenever you feel pressured by your friends, open up. Talk to your parents about it. Tell them about how your friends treat you.

2. Set you goals and figure out what you want in life: When you set boundaries and goals, no body would pressure you to do what you do not want to do. You can simply walk away from anyone that does not have the same goals as you.

3. Keep responsible friends: Do not involve yourself with bad friends. Show me your friend and I will tell you who you are! Bad friends can easily influence a focus minded person to a bad person. Stay away from bad friends.

4. Develop your self esteem: You can develop confidence in yourself by reading books on self Development. Find out what you are good with and stick to it.

5. Parental advice: It is the duty of every parents to advice and guild their children. As a parent you have to be observant. Observe when you child attitude changes. Talk to them about it. Always endeavor to build up your child's self esteem and confidence. Always remind them of their value, encourage them when they do something right. Teach them to say no, when they are feeling influence negatively.

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Conclusion

Self esteem and confidence is all that is needed to get over peer pressure. Children with high self esteem has tendency of not getting influence by friends than those with low self esteem.

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