Pressure Cooker

[Shannon]

We were recently doing an informal survey among youth and the number one response we got to the question "What is the biggest issue facing youth in today's society?" was "Peer pressure." Interesting results to hear the same answer from so many people...but what exactly is peer pressure? Pressure from whom exactly? To do what? Does it depend on who you make friends with, or is everyone facing peer pressure? Can peer pressure be a good thing? And if it's not a good thing, what can you do to fight back? Let me know your thoughts!

[Amy]

Peer pressure can definately depend on who you're friends with, but sometimes it's just pressure from everyone your age. It can come from society as a whole to make you want to be what people think you should be. But sometimes it can be good, and keep you from doing things that could hurt you. Fighting back is probably the hardest thing, but the best way is probably to make friends who wont try to pressure you and who will support you in being who you want to be, and not who other people want you to be.,

[Allie]

peer pressure doesnt just come from your friends, it comes from the entire generation and the society that we live in. The media industry has created this mould that is "ideal". all of us want to fit in so we all try to become this completely unrealistic ideal person. This peer pressure to be the perfect teen is bad pressure but there are other smaller forms that can be good like wanting to do as well as your friends at a sport or in school. its easy to fight back, but that requires a confidence that many teens do not have. to fight back you have to be gutsy enough to disagree with your friends, stay true to your beliefs, and be your true self.