The Battle of Acceptance By: Lee Ann Higgins
As children get older and grow up to become adults, peer pressure is inevitable. Peer pressure is one of many things that can make high school the best years of your life or the worst ones. Not only can school breed an environment of peer pressure, but it can occur no matter where someone is. Peer pressure can happen anywhere from the mall to the gym. This year the transition of going back to school could potentially cause more peer pressure for the students. Many young scholars give into peer pressure for a couple different reasons, some are: the anxiety of not fitting in, denied by the people they hang around, and not feeling confident in themselves. Some situations such as: skipping class, behavioral problems, and alcohol abuse are the ending results of peer pressure.
Many individuals do not think about what types of peer pressure there are, since we all just react to the moment. Negative peer pressure is the main type everyone thinks about. Seymone Nelson, a tenth grader at Kennesaw Mountain High School stated, “I think pressure is harmful, not like it doesn't have to always be drugs or alcohol, I think it can just it can be negative in the way that people might get you to say something that you wouldn't normally say or say something that compromises your morals or your values, then you just end up feeling really bad about it, because it's not something a decent person would say... something completely out of character for you.” Peer pressure is more than just the physical things like drugs and alcohol. It can also damage the person’s self-esteem. On that note, peer pressure is not always negative.
From what many have seen positive peer pressure is usually not acknowledged by the public. Positive peer pressure is from a classmate or a group pushing the other person to do better in whatever subject. Perhaps it could be conquering a fear, studying more, and trying harder. Not only does it better that person, but it is helpful for discussions that could be difficult to talk to parents about. Sometimes even religious belief. For Jayla Walden, a tenth grader at Hillgrove High School quoted “Last year, it was like the middle of the semester like Octoberish around then. And there was an opening in the marching band. And then there was an opening in a marching band and people were telling me about it saying that I should join, and I was like, I really don't know especially because at that time I was thinking about quitting the band as a whole. So, then all my friends started saying, do it, do it just do it...” When she was persuaded to try something new, she took it and ended up continuing that path.
Peer pressure seems basic, but it can become more than complicated. At one point in life everyone experiences peer pressure, it is just some more than others. It also depends on how it is taken or looked at. Positive or negative, spoken or unspoken, it affects everyone differently. Hopefully this fall when students return to school, peer pressure will be lessened and the transition will be smooth.
Many individuals do not think about what types of peer pressure there are, since we all just react to the moment. Negative peer pressure is the main type everyone thinks about. Seymone Nelson, a tenth grader at Kennesaw Mountain High School stated, “I think pressure is harmful, not like it doesn't have to always be drugs or alcohol, I think it can just it can be negative in the way that people might get you to say something that you wouldn't normally say or say something that compromises your morals or your values, then you just end up feeling really bad about it, because it's not something a decent person would say... something completely out of character for you.” Peer pressure is more than just the physical things like drugs and alcohol. It can also damage the person’s self-esteem. On that note, peer pressure is not always negative.
From what many have seen positive peer pressure is usually not acknowledged by the public. Positive peer pressure is from a classmate or a group pushing the other person to do better in whatever subject. Perhaps it could be conquering a fear, studying more, and trying harder. Not only does it better that person, but it is helpful for discussions that could be difficult to talk to parents about. Sometimes even religious belief. For Jayla Walden, a tenth grader at Hillgrove High School quoted “Last year, it was like the middle of the semester like Octoberish around then. And there was an opening in the marching band. And then there was an opening in a marching band and people were telling me about it saying that I should join, and I was like, I really don't know especially because at that time I was thinking about quitting the band as a whole. So, then all my friends started saying, do it, do it just do it...” When she was persuaded to try something new, she took it and ended up continuing that path.
Peer pressure seems basic, but it can become more than complicated. At one point in life everyone experiences peer pressure, it is just some more than others. It also depends on how it is taken or looked at. Positive or negative, spoken or unspoken, it affects everyone differently. Hopefully this fall when students return to school, peer pressure will be lessened and the transition will be smooth.
