Peer Pressure Essay, Research Paper

Peer Pressure

Have you ever been pressured into doing something that you knew was

the wrong thing to do? Or even pressured someone into doing something

wrong? Why is it almost impossible for a kid to hang with the cool crowd,

without being pressured at least once to do something bad? The problem

with adolescents these days is that they will do anything it takes to be cool,

even if it means being pressured into doing something they know is

extremely wrong. The min causes of peer pressure are television, peers, and

older brothers or sisters.

It may not be obvious to the occasional television watcher, but to one

who watches a lot of TV, including all the kids shows, like the Simpsons,

will see that peer pressure is all over the television scene. What is it that most

kids do when they get home from school? Well I don t know about you, but

the first thing I did was turn on the TV Kids these days enjoy watching

shows like the Simpsons or South Park. Although these shows are just

cartoons, they have a lot of peer pressure in them. For example. In The

Simpsons, Arnie, who is a teenager is always trying to pressure someone into

drinking or smoking. When kids see this on one of their favorite TV shows,

whose to say they are not going to go out and do it themselves. To limit

television from being one of the main causes of peer pressure, parents should

always be aware of the programs that their children are watching.

Peers are also another cause of peer pressure. When you are in your

early teens, it s sad to say, but the people who have th4e most influence on

you are your peers. You will do almost anything there is to do, as long as it

makes you fit in with the cool crowd. Smoking and drinking are the main

things that children are pressured into doing today. Come on, just take a

drag of this smoke. It won t hurt you. This was the famous line that got

me to start smoking. It may not hurt you to physically inhale that cigarette, or

drink back that beer, but it is near 100% positive, that it will hurt you in the

long run. Smoking and drinking aren t the only things adolescents are

pressured into doing. There is also lying. An example of being peer

pressured into lying is when you and your friends are going to a party, and

you know your parents wouldn t approve of it. Now you re not sure if you

should just stay home and try again next time. This is where your friends

come in and assist you in your decision. Just tell your parents you are going

to the movies, and you will be back around 12:30a.m. is the line they will

mostly come up with. So with a few examples, you can now clearly see that

peers are one of the main causes of peer pressure.

Another main cause of peer pressure is older brothers or sisters. They

love to make you try new things. It s like that is what they were put on this

earth to do. If any one is going to make you party, It s going to be them. The

reason they so this is because they want you to be col. They don t want their

little brother or sister to grow up to be a loser? Why don t they want you to

be a loser? Simply because they feel it will make them look better. It s not a

fact that this is always the case, but unfortunately most of the time it is.

In conclusion, you can now better understand three of the main causes

of peer pressure. Television, peers, and older brothers or sisters. These three

causes may possibly change your life forever, but it is important to remember

that every person is their own individual, and you yourselves are the only

people who have the power to JUST SAY NO!!!.