Peer pressure is defined as a social pressure on somebody to adopt a particular type of behavior,dress,or attitude in order to be accepted as part of a group. Peer pressure is not always bad. When people think of peer pressure they think that someone is being forced to do something that they don't want to do but that is not always the case. Sometimes peer pressure is used to get people to do something good.
With peer pressure you can make friends that you will be friends with for the rest of your life. Friends that you meet with peer pressure can influence you to become more kind and loyal to your other friends or peers. If you are trying a new belief or idea or sport and you are not sure if you should be doing it you can always ask your friends and peers on what they think about you doing those new beliefs or ideas or new sports. Making new friends that are in clubs or sports can get you interested in those clubs or sports. Your friends or peers can encourage you to try out for the part in the play or to make your favorite sports team. Your friends can introduce you to other people so that you can try new social skills on other peers. You can always ask your friends or peers on what sports team or activity you should try or do.
Some other ways that peer pressure can be a good is you can get more goal - oriented with school or sports from your friends or peers. Your peers can help inspire you to try a dream that you have. Your friends or peers will always be there to give you advice on if you should try drugs or if you should have sex. You can have friends or peers that you want to be like and you can also have friends or peers that you don't want to be like. You can learn a lot from your classmates and teammates. Some can have a good influences and some have bad influences. Sometimes it is good to follow the bad side so that you will learn not to go to that side again.
If you are asked to do something that you are not sure if you should do it or not you should always go with your gut feeling. If your friends or peers ask you to do something and you don't want to do it you have to feel comfortable saying"No". You should hang out with friends or peers that feel the same way you do about doing things that aren't right. There are so many ways that you can deal with peer pressure. Most of the time kids give into peer pressure because they want to be liked or to fit in. People might also do it because they don't want to be made fun of for not going along with the group. Kids may go with the group because they are curious to try something new. You have to listen to your inner feeling to choose what is the right thing to do. You have to have inner strength and self - confidence to help you stand up for what you believe in and to walk away.
In the novel "Speak" peer pressure is used a lot. Before the novel started the main character Melinda had sex with a boy so that she would fit in and in the end she got rapped. It was also used when her and Heather joined a club together . Melinda did not even know that it was a club. Peer pressure is not always a bad thing. You learn a lot from peer pressure. You learn that you should never go to the bad side and you should always listen to your gut in doing the right thing. You also learn that you do not have to know someone to want to be like them.
