Is Peer Pressure All The Time?

[nancyshanice]

My parents are always telling me not to give in to peer pressure and not to just follow the crowd. If I hear them say one more time, "If one of your friends jumped off a bridge would you jump too?" I am going to scream! Isn't it okay to go along with your friends some of the time? Help please.

[Joshua]

Parents who are responsible care a lot about their children. They don't want them to get spoiled by others. If your friends are doing good things it will be good to keep them company. If they are not, then keep a distance from them. You should first warn them before you leave them alone.

[luicer]

Even though it isn't all the time, it should be something teens should be warned of every time to get focused that it isn't legal nor would it be allowed to continue! We are all individuals and should be able to express our opinions without fear of being disliked, or forced to go along with the opinions of others. Just as we were taught about changing to be better, same to be applied to our kids also; no one would expect the worst from their kids!

[205victor]

They say, show many your company and I’ll tell you your character. In other words, our character is influenced by our friends thus, it is true to say, if we choose the right company we are going to learn and behave as our friends do. Our parents know what is right for us and hence the reason to adhere to what they require of us. We should avoid misleading peers as much as possible but also try to help them to change as in that is the cost of friendship.

[lynkez]

Parents have more experience in life than you and they know what it takes to be influenced of peer. You should understand that each of us is born with different values and dislikes. You poison may be your friend's meat and maybe s/he going to influence you. You better stand to your principles, know what is wrong and right to do with friends and refrain as much as you can to all non-mentoring activities. You don't need to follow the crowd, be independent and seek advice from adults in case of confusion.

[Ivyc]

Your principles determines everything,your friends can't make you do things you don't want to do. You only need to be in the world but outside the world in the real sense, in other words you do what your heart tells you to do and not what your friends want you to do.

[dacox]

Sometime back, I had this problem too. I was thinking of screaming back, “my friends don’t always influence my character!” but I didn’t; some voice deep down stopped me. Instead, I opted to tell everything to my mom; whenever I went out, I could involve her by telling her how I spent my day, after all, she seemed to be the one with the problem.

With time, things changed and I realized she was only trying to protect me. Trying to warn me how dangerous the world is. I think this ‘involving her’ tendency kept her from questioning me every time because she later on realized that when you hang out with friends, you are not always up to mischief.

I think some parents get overprotective when you stop telling them how you spend your time; they sometimes feel like your friends are taking up all your time, and you don’t seem to notice them or look up to them like you used to. Its only logic, parents love you and will always want the best for you. Let’s look at it this way; when you break a hand whom do you always turn to; who will be willing to help no matter the cost; your parents or your friends?