You step out of class and walk into the school bathroom, resting your eyes upon a frightening situation. Your two friends are vaping in the corner, and you proceed to walk into a stall and try to ignore what is going on on the other side. After leaving the stall, they invite you to take a hit. The dawning pressure is engraved in your mind, as you don’t know what to do. You could choose to follow your friends whom you’ve known for many years, or make the ethical choice to reject the invitation.
In a world where others’ opinions and decisions are valued at the utmost importance, this generation’s teens lack the self-control to make good decisions. They are losing their identity because their personality is built on others’ actions. These teens also find themselves obscuring their morals, and starting on an inescapable path towards conformity.
In our society, where social media is now prominent, our decisions on what we wear, how we act, and who we are all based on the influences found on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Youtube and Snapchat. When scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, we can only see a glimpse of the people’s true lives. Although the smile behind the photo is a mere split-second display of one’s life, many teens are deceived and feel jealous of such unrealistic standards. The true struggles behind the camera can easily be obscured from public view.
The root of teen peer pressure originates from the fear of rejection, and the belief that the reveal of their inner identity will only negatively obscure the point of view of others on them. Teens now may feel that if they are not doing the newest trend or dressing like the most popular influencer they will be neglected by their friends, or become an outcast. This also affects how teens think now, thinking that if they don’t act a certain way or hang out with a specific person, they will not fit in, adding to their low self-esteem.
The beauty of humanity is that we are all unique, yet our society wants us to look the same, act the same, and think the same, a reflection of what is promoted in social media. People now don’t have a concept of originality and lack the self-control to realize that they are not doing what matches up with their ideals. Teens now are just doing what they feel is normal and don’t want to show their values because they don’t want to be different from the majority of people.
One example of this is the Stanley Cup, a insulated stainless steel cup that has gained immense popularity lately. They have become a controversial topic in today’s society. In schools all across the country, teens have been crazing over the newest Stanley Cup. This has become a big issue because the people who don’t have one are being bullied or excluded for not having one while the people who have one are excluded or looked down upon by the people who don’t have one. Teens who don’t have them are being pressured to buy them by those who do, having to spend upwards of $45 not to be looked down upon by their peers
Peer pressure can not only be detrimental to mental health but also can translate into physical harm. These effects consist of pressing problems such as drug abuse, alcohol, smoking, etc. According to the “Teensavers” article on peer pressure, 70% of teenagers who smoke cigarettes say they began smoking because they had friends who smoked, or because they felt pressured to try it. Teens are now being torn apart, their instinctual thoughts to refrain from the use of cigarettes are non-existent in comparison to the suffocation that is brought by the possible loss of friendship that would result from rejecting the offer. Additionally, 72% of underage drinking is caused by friends according to Talk It Out NC. This reality is a serious consequence of peer pressure, and as alcohol is such an addictive substance, this issue must be fixed today.
In a contrasting article, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing stated that 21% of teens had tried drugs due to peer pressure. The effects are very much real. This is an urgent matter caused by the problems rooted deeply inside our society. Although it may be true that our human instinct is to imitate others, this issue has been cultivated into a matter that causes many to step off of their morals, and we have let it fester under our noses. This problem cannot wait until tomorrow, and it needs to be fixed right now, for drugs and alcohol addictions are a colossal problem that will grow and only worsen over time. This is no longer just a temporary issue but can become permanent, as the stakes have risen and you may embark on journey in an inescapable path.
The question is, what do we do going forward? Although it is easier said than done, we must stay true to our ideals and our thoughts, while refraining from excluding others for having opinions that don’t align with ours. In a society that urges us to not question those of higher authority or influence, we must listen to our gut. When our minds are washed by the choices by those around us, it is important to have a recollection of our actions and realize what we are doing, checking if it lines up with our ideals. During this process of recollection we must think about who we have associated ourselves with, and if their morals are in concurrence with ours. So, when you paint your canvas, be unique and refrain from painting a picture that has been painted before, but rather express your ideas and colors, because there is no one like you.
