Peer Pressure : A Social Challenge

Peer pressure is the influence of a group that encourages teenagers or people to change their attitudes, behavior and values in order for you to be fully accepted in their group. It is  very common with the youth because they are the ones who spend more time with their friends or classmates in school. Some people can't stand alone or can't stand by themselves so they search for a group of people that they can be with or they can rely on. Peer pressure can be positive or negative but mostly it is negative. Nowadays, peer pressure is portrayed  as negative and having really bad effects on teenagers. The challenges arising of peer pressure include the following: shoplifting, ignorance towards education, possibility of addiction to prohibited drugs, smoke and alcoholic drugs.

The first horror is shoplifting, we can hear it in news on the radio or television that many teenagers are involved in this crime. They do it because of their friends are doing it and they think that is the way to be "fit in" the group they wanted to join. Some do shoplifting because of initiation in the group. Based on surveys, Initiation is a rite of passage ceremony making entrance or acceptance into a group. Teenagers are now in trouble because of doing this crime. Parents should be aware in guiding their child. The next is cutting class. Students are cutting class because they want to escape school works and they do it with their friends.They go to cyber cafes to play computer games, some go to malls or any other place away from their school. Their parents give them money for school but they spend it in other things. This can really affect their grades and if that happens it can ruin their studies. Lastly is the possibility of addiction to prohibited drugs, smoke and alcoholic drugs. This is the major negative effect of peer pressure to teenagers. It can ruin their lives and their relationship with other people. This happens when their friends asked them to join a party without knowing that there are drugs, alcoholic drinks and smoke involved. Their friends will push them to use drugs or drink alcoholic drinks for them to be accepted in the group. If they become addicted to those things, it is bound to affect their academic as well as social performance.

It is true that we can't live alone or we can't live without friends. But it is our choice to be on the right path. We should choose the people who can be trusted and will bear good influence on us. We should be strong enough to say no if someone's asking us to do bad things. Teenagers should be independent enough and they should be responsible. They should always have self-discipline. Parents should also be responsible enough in guiding their child. They should be aware in what their child is doing. And lastly we should know what's right and what's wrong. We are the ones who make our life so we should be wise enough in making decisions. We should make the right decision in our lives so that we can have a successful life in the future.