The Good Side Of Peer Pressure

By Isaac Pinielo
Correspondent | Monday January 25, 2010 00:00

 

They seldom think of the many 'good' things that peer pressure could bring about in people - and neither do most parents of teenagers.

Most people think of peer pressure as influence to do negative things like smoking, taking illicit drugs, drinking alcohol, having promiscuous sex, engaging in criminal behaviour, involvement in violence, joining gangs, and so on.

According to experts, peer pressure is not all bad. They argue that the right group of friends can encourage a person to do positive things.

Psychology lecturer at the Instititute of Health Sciences (IHS) Anita Lebengo says although peer pressure has always been associated with 'bad' things, there are some good traits or behaviours emitted by peer pressure. 'Peer pressure provides individuals with a yard stick for self evaluation, leading individuals to being competent and social beings and personal identification or introspection,' she says, adding that the identification provides a sense of belonging and direction on various activities carried out in peer groups. Citing an example, Lebengo says one can choose between being part of an empowering group or a rebellious group. She further explains that interaction among peer groups who confront one another with different viewpoints be it political, religious or educational, promotes moral development and independence in personal expression.

'From my point of view, peer pressure can be defined as behavioural influences among people of the same age groups, such behaviour could either be socially acceptable or unacceptable,' she says.

Lebengo notes that peer pressure has always been associated with teenagers only, but she argues that it is not the case. She says it starts as early as six months, explaining that such interaction is however simple and consists of mainly touching, smiles or sounds, and it goes through adolescence and sometimes extends to adulthood.

'For example, some adults can buy an object just because their friends have it,' she indicates. She also notes that peer pressure has always been referred to as the stormy phase, in minor groups parents have to socialise children explicitly, that is, telling them what to do and what not to do and implicitly, which she explains as being models for their children to imitate and to identify with. She says parents can also foster behaviour by giving approval for desired behaviour or by rewarding it. In adults, she explains, being assertive, self confident and realisation of one's individuality is important, noting that this can be attained through self -acceptance, and that such can also be applied to adolescents with parents nurturing, supporting and tolerating them in their endeavours.

She says individuals should be sure of their identity, but should also know and accept that there are other identity choices which they could have made and that they have made possibilities within themselves.

Meanwhile, other people concur that peer pressure is essential to proper social development that people learn in following the crowd. They indicate that this is how people learn acceptable social norms, that is, how they are expected to act in the world in order to be good people.

The difference between good peer pressure and bad peer pressure is often summed up with a simple comparison - when it is good, you are a member of the crowd; when it is bad, you are part of a mob.

If peer pressure is telling you to act in a generally appropriate way, to do the right thing when you may not otherwise, or to do more good than harm, experts say it is safe to say this is good.

As long as following the crowd does not cause one to act without consideration, following is not always a bad thing to do. In a situation where peer pressure is good, individuals in the groups would be acting as individual parts of a whole, each working with the other.

One must never let 'following the crowd' take precedence over 'following their conscience', experts say. Information gathered from the Internet states that peer pressure is when 'friends' persuade you into doing something that you do not want to do. But maybe you want to do it, and you just don't have the courage to do it and your friends talk you into it. It says that peer pressure can be broken down into two areas; good peer pressure and bad peer pressure.

Bad peer pressure is being coerced into doing something that one didn't want to do because his/her friends said that they should.

Good peer pressure, on the other hand, is being pushed into something that you didn't have the courage to do or just didn't think of doing.

However, as you think about it, it seems like a good thing to do.
Good peer pressure can also be a situation when your friends convince you not to do something you were going to do because it wasn't in your best interest. Some people say that good peer pressure is when you get pushed into something that you didn't want to do and it turned out well.