Free Essay Example on Youth: Peer Influence Shaping Teen Behaviors & Choices

Introduction

The youth, especially teens are highly influenced by their peers (Baruah and Binny 241). The influence is either negative or positive. Teens always seek to be seen in a favorable way by their peers no matter the nature of the influence and the consequence. The behaviors of teens are therefore influenced by their peers. More so, the choices and actions that the teens take regarding various issues in their life. The issues may be so serious such that they do not require the advice or intervention of the peers but the teens do not see such seriousness. The choices therefore end up being corrupted because the young ones do not see the importance of taking anything serious.

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Positive Choice

Sometimes, a positive choice may be inspired by the peer groups. For instance, youths gang up and participate in volunteer projects which help the community (Baruah and Binny 241). Also, peers influence each other especially in eating habits. Many youths have been influenced by their peers to consider going to the gym and regulating the food that they eat so that they do not grow obese. This is a positive influence that has helped reduce illnesses associated with obesity (Baruah and Binny 241).

Negative Influence

However, peer pressure has led to negative influence especially in the youth who have been using social media (Vries et al. 287). Social networking sites of today have become a platform for exchanging content that provokes teens to invest more into beauty and appearance so as to fit the trending styles (Daido 383). Such trending styles are posted on the social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook and twitter and are admired by many. Makeups have become the new norm and many teens have opted to take cosmetic procedures so as to fit the expectations of their peers (Daido 384). Having so many likes and shares on the social networking sites is what makes one to trend. One cannot make it on the list of the trending users unless they adhere to the expectations of the other users who are the ones to rate and judge the pictures and videos posted depending on the physical appearance (Vries et al. 287). The use of social media has therefore become a pervasive aspect of many teens across the globe.

Trends

The peers who have not been able to attain the trends that they feel they must have as per the perceptions of the social media have opted for cosmetic surgery (Vries et al. 287). Cosmetic surgery is the use of medical surgical procedures in attempts to maintain, enhance or restore the physical appearance. The cosmetic procedures done are not in any way related to reconstructive surgery because the latter is done here there is a fault in one’s physical body caused either by sickness, accident or natural means where an unwanted development of the body may happen. Therefore, reconstructive surgery is not done without a major reason or a prescription of a physician. However, cosmetic surgery is done majorly to make one’s appearance more pleasing to others for the sake of creating attraction and make them trendy as per the social media expectations (Newman 147). An increase in the number of young teens seeking cosmetic surgical procedures has been recorded, rising from 20.2% in 2018 to 21.2% in the year 2019 (Daido 385). The type of cosmetic surgery that these young teens were requesting for is a medical surgery to improve the appearance of the face and some other parts of the body such as breasts in young girls. Also, adolescent boys have not been left behind for they have sought the services of cosmetic surgeons to improve their facial appearances, voice and their masculine nature (Vries et al. 287).

Peer Pressure

Peer pressure in teens also lead them to influence their friends to quit bad habits such as smoking and taking of alcohol (Newman 147). However, there must be the injection of the efforts of by adults to influence the youths to behave in the desired manner so that they influence their peers. The positive influence pushes a great change in the society because teens make up significant number of the people in the society. The youths are role models to the young children who are in the age range of 4-10 (Vries et al. 287). When peer pressure is positive, its effect is great. Likewise, when the effect is negative, the effects are devastating to the society.

Conclusion

In conclusion, peer pressure can be good or bad. The youth, especially teenagers are the ones that are highly affected by peer pressure. Peer pressure may be used to influence youth initiatives such as volunteering which inspires them positively. Also, peer pressure may be used to spread awareness of drug use such that bad habits are avoided. Social media influence among peers has gone extremely high such that the youths seek to have cosmetic surgeries just to please their peers. This is quite negative, leaning on the bad side of the balance.

Works Cited

Baruah, Prerana, and Binny Borkha Boruah. "Positive peer pressure and behavioral support." Indian Journal of Positive Psychology 7.2 (2016): 241.

Daido, Kohei. "Risk-averse agents with peer pressure." Applied Economics Letters 11.6 (2004): 383-386.

Vries, Dian A., et al. "The effect of social network site use on appearance investment and desire for cosmetic surgery among adolescent boys and girls." Sex Roles 71.9-10 (2014): 283-295.

Newman, Ian M. "Capturing the energy of peer pressure: Insights from a longitudinal study of adolescent cigarette smoking." Journal of School Health 54.4 (1984): 146-148.