Under Pressure by dane bunel As you continue to follow the crowd, you might find yourself lost in it. To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. The ugly reality is that peer pressure reaches its greatest intensity at just the age when kids tend to be most insensitive and cruel. When discussing the effects of peer pressure and substance abuse, a lot of people wonder, how strong is the link? In many cases, children and teens feel an intense pressure to fit in. They will behave and make decisions based on what they think their peers want them to do. If your child thinks that taking drugs or drinking alcohol will raise the respect their peers have for them, there’s a good chance he or she will try it at least once. Peers can influence their friends in supportive or destructive ways when it comes to drug use. In various circumstances, social pressure can be applied that may prevent people from using certain types of drugs, persuade them to not use any drugs at all, or encourage them to misuse all kinds of drugs. Graphic by Dane Bunel, “All Eyes On Me” is a representation of the chapter in every teens life that is overwhelmed by peer pressure, lack of self confidence and social anxiety.
Bullitt East Senior Caleb Mayes had a little first hand experience to those affected around him, sometimes it even being himself.
A review of addictioncenter.com shows that peers have a greater influence on adolescent substance abuse than parents do. Peers can encourage friends to use drugs and alcohol or tease them for being afraid to try them, which can lead to the initiation of drinking and drug use.
“When you’re growing up, the thing that seems normal to you is to try and relate to your buddies as much as possible. It took me all the way up until present day to figure that out.” said Mayes. “Growing up in Mt. Washington, the small town stigma gets to you, even at a young age. There’s no higher ups to be inspired by, everyone is kind of on the same pedestal. Which I think is why kids are so easily peer pressured into smoking and drinking. It’s what they see, therefore being in a small town, they feel it’s the only thing they can do.” said Mayes.
Alcohol use is more acceptable and popular than illicit drug use, even if it’s underage. Illicit drugs are more heavily linked to illegal activity and consequences coming from outside the social group. The perception of consequences can interrupt peer pressure’s ability to push someone into an extreme activity, which could reduce the chance that people give into pressure to try more extreme drugs. Certain kinds of peer pressure not only lead to hazardous short-term behavior, but they can plant the seeds for long lasting, detrimental habits.
Peer pressure can influence teens’ choices about a lot of things. Addiction center research shows that, when making a decision, teens think about both the risks and rewards of their actions and behaviors--but, unlike adults, teens are more likely to ignore the risk in favor of the reward. But the question still lies, what are the best ways for coming up with a solution?
Teens who see their peers leading joyful, healthy lives while making good choices are more motivated to do the same thing. While peer pressure and drugs in teens can lead to negative outcomes, peer pressure is also a powerful tool to be used during recovery. You don’t have to take part in drug activities to show your worth when your worth as a human being hasn’t even been molded yet.
In a current day atmosphere where there’s a lot of comparing and contrasting, us as human beings sometimes forget to pay attention to how we feel. If something in your gut seems off, there’s a good chance that your feelings of discomfort are correct and not just myths. At the end of the day, it’s your own authentic life that comes before anyone else, and whether you decide to fall under peer pressure or not, understand your own values as a person.
There is no problem with making excuses for yourself. A white lie in this sense would be necessary, especially if your health and future depends on it. If you, or someone you know, is experiencing pressure from their social group to try drugs and are finding it difficult to say no then it is better to seek help in the early stages. Remember, addiction always begins with the first use, so prevent the first use from taking place.
The effects of peer pressure can be beneficial or negative. The most common entity for negative peer pressure is the entity of drinking and smoking.
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