Why does peer pressure affect teenagers

You have just experienced what is commonly referred to as peer pressure. It is probably more accurate to refer to this as peer influence, or social influence to adopt a particular type of behavior, dress, or attitude in order to be accepted as part of a group of your equals "peers".

As a teen, it's likely you've experienced the effect of peer influence in a number of different areas, ranging from the clothes you wear to the music you listen to. Peer influence is not necessarily a bad thing. We are all influenced by our peers, both negatively and positively, at any age. For teens, as school and other activities take you away from home, you may spend more time with your friends than you do with your parents and siblings.

As you become more independent, your peers naturally play a greater role in your life. Sometimes, though, particularly in emotional situations, peer influence can be hard to resist—it really has become "pressure"—and you may feel compelled to do something you're uncomfortable with. She'd just had a big dose of peer pressure. When you were a little kid, your parents usually chose your friends, putting you in play groups or arranging play dates with certain children they knew and liked.

Now that you're older, you decide who your friends are and what groups you spend time with. Your friends — your peers — are people your age or close to it who have experiences and interests similar to yours.

You and your friends make dozens of decisions every day, and you influence each other's choices and behaviors. This is often positive — it's human nature to listen to and learn from other people in your age group. As you become more independent, your peers naturally play a greater role in your life. As school and other activities take you away from home, you may spend more time with peers than you do with your parents and siblings.

You'll probably develop close friendships with some of your peers, and you may feel so connected to them that they are like an extended family. Besides close friends, your peers include other kids you know who are the same age — like people in your grade, church, sports team, or community. These peers also influence you by the way they dress and act, things they're involved in, and the attitudes they show.

It's natural for people to identify with and compare themselves to their peers as they consider how they wish to be or think they should be , or what they want to achieve. People are influenced by peers because they want to fit in, be like peers they admire, do what others are doing, or have what others have.

You already know that the teen years can be tough. You're figuring out who you are, what you believe, what you're good at, what your responsibilities are, and what your place in the world is going to be. It's comforting to face those challenges with friends who are into the same things that you are. But you probably hear adults — parents, teachers, guidance counselors, etc.

You might not hear a lot about it, but peers have a profoundly positive influence on each other and play important roles in each other's lives:. Sometimes, though, the stresses in your life can actually come from your peers. They may pressure you into doing something you're uncomfortable with, such as shoplifting, doing drugs or drinking, taking dangerous risks when driving a car, or having sex before you feel ready. This pressure may be expressed openly "Oh, come on — it's just one beer, and everyone else is having one" or more indirectly — simply making beer available at a party, for instance.

Most peer pressure is less easy to define. Sometimes a group can make subtle signals without saying anything at all — letting you know that you must dress or talk a certain way or adopt particular attitudes toward school, other students, parents, and teachers in order to win acceptance and approval.

How peer pressure works A young person can experience peer pressure in varying degrees. How does peer pressure affect teenagers? Positive effects of peer pressure include: a sense of belonging and support increased self-confidence introduction to positive hobbies and interests reinforcement of positive habits and attitudes. Negative effects of peer pressure include: pressure to use alcohol, cigarettes or drugs pressure to engage in risk taking behaviours distraction from schoolwork distance between family and existing friends drastic changes in behaviour and attitudes.

Teenagers tend to mimic their friends, which is why cliques form so solidly. In other words, parents are right to be concerned about who their child is calling their bestie. According to Dr. Gurinder Dabhia, teenagers have brains that are only 80 percent developed.

This causes them to make big errors when it comes to assessing risk. Not only does this make them try risky things, but it also makes them even more susceptible to peer pressure. By their twenties, the brain is fully developed.