Peers have a significant impact on the lives of teenagers. The group’s influence on an individual’s thinking and acting is considered peer pressure. Kids spend a lot of time with their peers. These peers impact their academic and professional lives as well. Kids share their thoughts and views with their peers. Peers have a significant role in the grooming of kids. Most of the time, kids share the thoughts of their peers.
They generally inspire through their actions. Peer pressure also shapes the attitude and behaviour of the kids. Peers can be the friend circle of kids or other peers of schools and same age fellows. Peer pressure affects the life of kids in both positive and negative ways. A study conducted in Nigeria shows that peer pressure has a significant and positive impact on the academic performance of teenagers. In this context, some of the positive impacts of peer pressure are shared below;
Long-Lasting Bond:
Some peers are more than peers for kids. They have a strong bond of friendship between them. They also have sincere feelings for one another. These kinds of peers have positive effects on the performance of the kids. These peers want to succeed and see their friends become successful. They share good habits and thoughts as well. They support one another to succeed in life.
Inspire Through Example:
Peers can also inspire teenagers with their personalities. If your peer is good in study and sports, your kids might take inspiration from them. Peers with good habits also attract kids to adopt these habits. Positive inspiration helps kids become responsible citizens of society. Kids can also inspire by the vision of their peers. This positive inspiration helps in achieving exemplary academic and professional milestones.
Sincere Feedback:
Kids share their ideas and thoughts with their peers as they provide quick feedback. Peers’ advice is also helpful in the decision-making process. They help each other in solving multiple matters. Peers give positive advice to one another. They also give honest feedback without hesitating. They challenge you when you’re doing something wrong, and this sincerity saves you from choosing the wrong path.
Increase The Exposures:
Peers help increase exposure to the world. They socialize with a diverse range of people. They also visit different places and meet different people. This exposure helps them see a bigger picture of the world. It increases the chance of learning new skills. This exposure also gives them the idea of the competitive world. They also meet with different inspiring people.
This socialization helps in selecting their career path. They also motivate them to do something different from the others. This exposure increases their social skills as well. These skills have significant importance for succeeding in life.
Motivation:
Peers are an excellent source of motivation. They motivate people by showing practical examples. They are also motivated in times of challenging conditions. Therefore, they help in the studies and different situations in life.
Increase Positivity:
Peer pressure is a good source of positivity. Good peers share good habits and attitudes. They also share positive hobbies and affect the interest of their peers. This sharing helps them build an upbeat personality for the future. This positivity increases their academic performances as well.
According to dissertation experts, peer pressure may also negatively impact teenagers. Some of these adverse effects are as follows;
Change In Behavior And Attitude:
Deviant peers can affect the behaviour and attitudes of the kids. Kids might start showing rude behaviour to their parents. Their rude behaviour doesn’t match the social standards. This behaviour also starts affecting their academic and professional performances.
Lose Concentration:
Insufficient peer pressure starts distracting the kids from their studies. They don’t show interest in studies. They lose their concentration day by day, and their priorities start changing. They start bunking the school. In class, they tease their teachers. Their grades start decreasing. The teachers and school administration don’t like them. They are looking for an opportunity to expel them from the schools. Predicting their academic performance is not difficult. They also fail to achieve promising professional careers.
Communication Gap:
Negative peer pressure can also take them away from their parents. They don’t take their parents’ words seriously. They don’t want to listen to their parents’ advice. They don’t want to talk to their parents either. This communication gap has terrible effects on their lives. This gap affects their academic and professional life.
Negative Activities:
Negative peer pressure may also start involving them in negative activities. They start taking drugs in their teenage years. A study shows a significant correlation between peer pressure and students’ drug consumption habits (academic, 2020). They can get involved in risk-taking activities. They might start gambling with their peers. These bad habits also affect their family’s reputation.
They start involving in different crimes. People start to disown them. They might not be acceptable to society anymore. Their family members and good friends also leave them in the worst situation. They become homeless and useless too. So, involving in harmful activities affects their lives and society too.
Conclusion:
Kids spend a lot of time with their peers. These peers are their classmates, neighbours, and others who influence their lives. Peer pressure has a significant impact on the academic performance of teenagers. Peer pressure affects teenagers’ lives in many ways. Good peer pressure positively affects their lives. These peers may also give vision to them. They learn good habits from them. These peers also give sincere feedback to their friends.
In contrast, negative peers make their lives worse. They spoil their whole career. They don’t show interest in the study. Parents and teachers need to keep an eye on their peers to improve their lives.