PEER PRESSURE!

As some youths get older, the influence of parents seems fading, and the desire to be popular and to be accepted by peers grows strong. m Others simply feel a need to talk with someone who “understand” or who will make them feel loved or needed. When good communication is lacking at home, youth seek it among their peers. One more thing is lack of self confidence and feelings of insecurity cause some to be vulnerable to peer influence.

Peer influence is not necessarily bad. A proverb says: “By iron, iron itself is sharpened. So one man sharpens the face of another.” Just as an iron knife can sharpen the dulled edge of another knife, fellowship with other youths can sharppen your personality and make you a better person if the peers who influence are mature and have healthy attitudes. All to often, youths are lacking of maturity. Many youth shave viewpoints and opinions that are unsound, unreliable, and even reckless. So when a youth comes under the influence of peers, it may be little more than a blind leading the blind. And the results can be disastrous. Even when peers are not edging you toward outrageous behavior, their influence can still feel oppressive because you feared to be isolated thus you worked hard to gain their acceptance.