What's so bad about peer pressure?

I just saw another one of those stupid Above the Influence commercials. The one with the chick who was crushed from "peer pressure" so she's like 2 feet tall. And it got me thinking. What's really so bad about peer pressure? Why is "peer pressure" such a negative term?

These commercials are only trying to replace peer pressure with parent pressure and teacher pressure. It is true that teenagers are often influenced by their peers into doing things, but this has been the case for everybody in every social group since society began. Every social group has an established set of norms which are expected of its members. It's what keeps me from picking my nose in public, carrying a purse, or going to class shirtless.

But of course, as an individual with my own free will, I am free to reject any social norm I choose to reject, so long as it doesn't harm anyone else. For example, as a college student, in my particular social culture it is normal to drink alcohol, but I choose not to because I don't particularly enjoy it. Even young people have the ability to make their own independent decisions in the face of peer pressure, and to conform to whatever social norms they choose.

Everybody has to make compromises between their individuality and following social norms. On the one hand, we want to feel like a part of a group, and on the other hand we want to establish our uniqueness. This is just part of life in society. As long as society continues to exist there will always be social norms and pressure to conform to them; it's what keeps societies together and gives their members a common identity. Most of these norms are completely harmless, and it is up to the individual to choose which ones he or she wants to adopt. If kids don't learn this stuff as a teenager while they're still learning how to socialize, they never will.

Well said, One. And I agree with pretty much everything you said... if it's not peer pressure, it's pressure from somewhere else.

peer pressurs goes against all the hard work some parents put in.

like if you spend years and years telling your kids
"dont do drugs"
"dont have sex"
"dont be skerred do it"

then i cum along and get you high and bone you down and turn you out

I have witnessed peer pressure be the cause for people to do wicked things.

Yes, but peer pressure is mostly harmless. Parent pressure and teacher pressure can be destructive too. Besides, what do you expect, for every kid to stop influencing their friends' behavior? Good luck with that.

you think a bunch of kids signed up for world war 2 and their friends signed up to be with them? thats an example of positive peer pressure. or fraternities in college that require all members to have a 3.0 or higher gpa? peer pressure is just like everything else, some good and some bad. but the good never gets media coverage, just like everything else.

My definition of peer pressure is like if your hangin out then they bring in some tied up dude and hand you a pistol and force you to kill him, Just take that example and put it in other scenerios. If you dont get the point, it is that it's wrong to make some one do something they really dont wanna do and thats whats wrong with peer pressure.

Well, if you don't want to do something, don't do it. Teenagers just like adults have the freedom to resist their peers' suggestions. If your friend forces you to take a drug at gunpoint, sure, that's wrong. But if he just tells you it'll make you feel good and you voluntarily go along with him under your own free will, I don't see what's wrong with that. Most peer pressure isn't done by force since people generally don't hang around assholes who force them to do shit they don't want to do.

LOL....I saw the same commercial. I was thinking it must have been an indica cause she had a nasty case of couch lock!:thumbsup:

I can be both really because for example if you've never tried weed and your friends made you try it because of peer pressure, they would only do it once and if you didn't like it end of story but if you did then at least you found out about it!

And if that never happened that person might not of ever smoked weed in his life but is that a good or bad thing?

Just like one time when one of my friends was persuading me to take a line of coke and i kept saying no because i dont give in i stick with my answers, i knew it would of been good, but i might of ended up taking it every single day because i like it so much,

Again, is that a good thing or a bad thing? up to you to decide really.:thumbsup:

They have those commercials because some people are pussies and blame thier problems on other people. "I really didn't want to do it, I was pressured to. I couldn't help it" = bullshit. What happens is kids get busted by parents, teachers, etc.. and instead of being repsonsible for what they did, they pass the blame on to someone else. I'm sure that there are legitimate cases where someone was pressured by a friend and did something they didn't want to do, but for every 1 real case, there's 20 fake ones.
Even after you grow up, peer pressure is around in some form. People grow up, get jobs, and then get a car, house and anything else that their buddy has so they don't feel like a looser.

People are too pussy to admit that they have done wrong, even if you did do it cuz ure best friend for 3 years sed he would never talk to you again, you still did it you stupid bastard, YOU did it NOT ure friend, ure friend asked you to do it, and YOU did it, u must be the easiest motherfucker to rob, no need for violence, just ask him for his wallet, but of course NOW i'm bein ridiculous, but peer pressure, thats a totally valid excuse for partaking in any activity, illegal or other. Fuck! while we're at it, I should also not be held responsible for anything I do, its the media/people/subconscious/sum other....thing ya know.......that us angst teenagers have to deal with since life is sooooo hard!!, they fill my head with these thoughts, I'm like a robot man, pity me, and every1 does, cuz no1's got a fuckin backbone anymore, every1's afraid of offending every1 else, cuz if u were in ure right mind u'd say 'What the fuck did you just say you spineless pussyhole? You did it cuz ppl were raggin on you? what kind of excuse is that? Did you try saying the magic word no? People have fought in wars, resisted torture, jumped off cliffs and went over waterfalls in barrels, and you can't tell a group of friends you don't want to do sumthin out of fear they won't like u? Why am I even wasting my time talkin to u?'

I can't fucking believe there are people out there who don't blame the person at fault, but honestly believe that they were 'taken in by a bad crowd', ehhhh? what the fuck does that even mean? Cuz u got in the wrong circle of friends, you weren't thinking straight? Even if you did it cuz they were goin to beat you, stand up and say 'Well I didn't think it was really worth a beatin, so I just did it' but they don't, they give u a fuckin sob story about how alienated they were, and the victimization they suffer while attempting social acceptance, and every1 goes 'Ahhhhh' *pity* *pity* 'BOOOOOO!! THE BOOGYMAN FRIENDS!!!!' When I guaren-fuckin-tee that they are as big of shitheads as there friends, the problems that most deal with, not just adolescent years, but others, are complete and utter shit, worthy of a minutes contemplation, but man the way people drag out there problems, make, for themselves situations that are difficult usually via the loanin money to buy 'bigger and better things' route, they're makin me start thinkin that people wanna be pissed off, just to get a sympathy vote from there peers.

If your biggest problem in life, the one that consumes ure thoughts day and night, is a social predicament involving the 'in' and the 'out' crowds, I can't believe people have the audacity to distinguish the sane from the insane, cuz the only problem there is ure grasp on reality, but of course our pussyfoot society will have you believe otherwise, like oneironaut sez, we all make compromises between individuality and social norm, and as this suggests, you still make the choice, it becomes a case of 'Does the effort of conforming to society, outweigh my need to be an individual?' and if you make the wrong decision, then you should live with it, by trying to justify peoples fuck-ups, we fuck up more people.

In summary, every1 deserves a fuckin good slap, so they can finally sit up and appreciate what they have, instead of pissing and moanin about the lack thereof. For fuck sake man, this is life, not some picnic, deal with ure problems ureself, don't expect help, any help given to you, you should appreciate with the utmost respect, cuz sum1 is takin time out of there lives, to even think about u, but, its become all twisted, now people take a helping hand for granted, and actually complain about the level of help they are getting (cuz u know they have the 'RIGHT!' whatever that means), every1's a victim of sumthing now, and should be sympathized with, leaving sum1 to wallow in there own mistakes is viewed as 'cold hearted' and 'uncivilized' when in reality, its been workin the past 4.5 billion years, lets see how far 'reformation of delinquints' gets us, since now, it appears as if you can fuck up every1's life around you by stealing, abusing drugs and beating ure girlfriend, but then be a 'brave' man for just taking the simple step of admitting that it was 'wrong', but paradoxically, this alleviates all responsibility, as u have recognized u r doing wrong, and are now the victim of ure own morally corrupt upbringing, I laughed just writing that shit, but its SERIOUSLY the way people's actions are viewed. Take sum responsibility, because otherwise, where would you draw the line between a friendly suggestion, and persuasive force? Answer is, wherever ure opinion fits best, and the Judicial System is Born! Hallelujah!