Thinking about peer pressure

When lipstick leaves you broke, it’s time to dig deep and look inside.

There are few things I love as much as hopping from one cosmetics store to the next, checking out all the products, trying them on and wondering if bright pink lipstick really could be the new dark red. It’s not all fun and games when it comes to paying for everything, though. After a shopping spree, my bank account ends up looking seriously sad and I often wonder why I buy all this stuff I hardly need. Of course, I know the answer. I buy because all my gals are buying and they convince me that my social life will fizzle and die if I don’t buy that purple nail polish. I need it and I buy it.

Reading a copy of one of my favorite youth magazines, I take a peer pressure quiz. The verdict? Sometimes peer pressure gets the better of me. Hmm, that’s not something you want to hear about yourself. It’s time to take a closer look at this whole peer pressure thing and get some perspective.

What is peer pressure?
Peer Pressure is when you allow other people to influence your thoughts and actions. Basically, where a group of friends share values, they influence each other’s thoughts and behaviours. In exchange for group membership, you need to think like the group, act like the group and want what the group wants. So, I buy nailpolish I don’t need and end up broke because I wanna by one of the gals.

What are the effects of peer pressure?
Peer Pressure has a powerful influence on teenagers. You want to fit in with those around you and need to feel that you belong. But, the price of belonging is conforming to the group. If you don’t agree with their opinions and go along with the things they do, you will probably experience rejection. Or you fear that if you refuse to give in, you will lose their friendship and respect.

So, is peer pressure always bad?
Peer pressure can be harmful when your friends put pressure on you to do something that you know is wrong or don’t want to do. They may want you to cheat, lie, steal or say or do something that makes you feel uncomfortable. Or, in my case, waste my hard earned cash on nail polish instead of saving up to study. But there is a flipside. Positive peer pressure is when your friends talk you into doing good things, such as helping others, going to teen church or even working harder at school so you can get good marks and get scholarships to study further.

GOLD uses positive peer pressure to pull the plug on HIV by encouraging teenagers to lead healthier, more responsible, happier lives. I know that if I see my friend going for an HIV test, chances are I’ll feel more comfortable about going. If I see people I think are cool actually working hard at their studies, saying they don’t want to get drunk or sleep around, then it makes me think, Wow, maybe you don’t have to mess up your life with drugs to be cool.

So like I always have and always will, I have a choice to say, “No gals! I don’t need new cosmetics or clothes, I can’t afford them right now.” Or I can give in to peer pressure and suffer being broke alone for the rest of the month. So what’s it gonna be? I think I’m going to have to do some talking in the mirror and practice putting DOWN the nailpolish! Now it’s your turn. Will you give in to peer pressure or will you stand up for what you want and believe in and say no when you need to? So what’s it gonna be?