By – Aditya Bhakta, Class 9, Delhi Public School, Bokaro.
Peer pressure is something that almost everyone experiences at some point in their life. While it can be a challenging and testing experience, it also offers an opportunity for growth and personal development. Understanding the nature of peer pressure can help you prepare for and avoid these situations. The key to understanding peer pressure is realizing that it is not a choice. While a person may be able to choose their actions, they cannot choose what actions are placed on them.
Peer pressure often comes in the form of doing something you normally wouldn’t do, like drinking alcohol or taking drugs. It can also come in the form of doing something a person knows is wrong, like shoplifting or cheating during a test. While someone is under the influence of peer pressure, the decisions they make are not rational.
Paying attention to how a person feels about something and deciding that if it feels wrong it probably is wrong. Even if the person’s friends seem ok with what is going on, the situation may not be right for him/her. A person should plan what to say and what to do beforehand and think about how he or she will respond in different situations. Talking to the person who is pressuring and letting him or her know how it makes the person feels or asking him or her to stop may also help in such situations.
Peer pressure is often taken as a metaphor for dealing with the challenges of growing up. It can be a positive experience if someone knows how to handle it. All it takes is knowing how to identify when and where the person is being pressured, knowing how peer pressure works, and having a few strategies for dealing with it. When someone knows how to avoid peer pressure, they can use it as an opportunity for personal development and growth.
