Peer influence is a common phenomenon among young people, where children’s’ behavior and decisions are affected by their friends and surroundings. While this trend entails certain drawbacks, they are far outweighed by the possible benefits.
One drawback regarding peer influence is mental stress. In order to get a social acceptance from surrounding people, many youths may feel forced to act against their own personal values, causing stress and anxiety in a long run. This practice is specifically common when children are integrated into a new environment, such as new school, kindergarten, or neighborhood, where making friends can cause them behave differently. Risky behavior can be a further issue. Some teenagers, who lack proper parental guidance, are now engaged into harmful activities, including smoking and alcohol. This misconduct gradually affects not just an individual child but everyone within a group.
These arguments notwithstanding, I still believe that upsides of peer pressure are much better. One major advantage can be seen in their academic performance. Friends can push each other during a school year in order to get better grades or skills, leaving them with knowledge that extend far beyond childhood. This healthy encouragement can also result in more balanced and healthier lifestyle, engaging young people into sport and learning, since friends reduce the fear and shyness of trying new things. An equally significant point is that peer influence can lead to social skill development. When young people regularly interact with their friends and peers, they may have far better skills of communication compared to those who lack such useful interaction needed for a proper child development.
In conclusion, peer pressure is inevitable phenomenon which become part of our daily day lives, in turn it is acceptable for many young people to be influenced by their friends. Although peer pressure has number of drawbacks, I strongly assume that with regular parental control, it is feasible to gain benefits.