Teen Pressures: Positive or Negative?

When we hear the word peer pressure most likely the primary thought is a negative connotation. Parents may send their teens to school worrying about what their fellow teenage peers will pressure them to do. Well, couldn’t peer pressure be good at times? Wikipedia defines peer pressure the following way: the influence on a peer group, observers or individual exerts that encourages others to change their attitudes, values or behaviors to conform to groups. Therefore, as an individual you could be pressured to do good or bad depending on the crowd of friends you carry. The obligation of teens is to rather differentiate the good peer pressure from the bad.

The teen pressures that teens mostly come up under are the typical ones. There are pressures to do drugs, drink alcohol, to have sex, and there is the ongoing pressure to be of a particular size or body shape. Some of the overlooked teen pressures are the pressure to make good grades, pressure to eat healthy, pressure to slack off, pressure to establish friendships with those you might not like, and the of making the right career choices. Here are a few examples of common peer pressures at North Atlanta.

Pressure to Slack Off

“At times I witness phenomenal athletes who are dedicated to their sport who are pressured by their friends to slack off and not participate in P.E. class,” said Coach Chantel Dawson, a physical education teacher and head cheerleading coach.

Pressure to Make Good Grades

“My friends who have some classes with me often pressure me to not procrastinate to study for an upcoming test, so I experience more of a peer pressure to try to do good in school,” said freshman Lauryn Grubbs.

Pressure to Do Drugs

“I was once pressured to smoke weed. I said ‘No’ because I have home training so I know not to do anything that can harm my body,” said sophomore YaGass Sey.

Pressure to Make Future Decisions

“I am currently experiencing pressure right now on whether to do IB or AP courses for my junior year, but I know deep down I have to do what is good for me and what I know I can handle as an individual so I will not have to endure stress. But I still know with whatever decision I make I will still be able to receive scholarships to college,” said sophomore Morgan Staten.

In the end, teenagers often are experiencing difficulties because they are getting closer to the real world life and often times may become confused in decisions. Sometimes it becomes almost natural for teens to follow their friends and probably don’t even realize that they are falling victim of peer pressure. That’s why it is important for teens to have a good group of friends, to know right from wrong, and have the ability to say “no” to bad decisions.