Peer pressure is the social pressure by members of one’s peer group to take a certain action, adopt certain values or otherwise conform in order to be accepted. All over the world people are coerced into doing things that they otherwise would not. Since we were children, we’ve all dealt with peer pressure in one form or another. It can vary from the consumption of alcohol to being pressured to act in ways that you otherwise would not. The pressures from our parents and families can help us to adopt positive habits and values whereas friends can be bad influences and lead us to adopt negative habits. When your pressured to go against your internal feelings of morality and ethics in order to be accepted within a group, it can be detrimental. However, the same pressure that forces you out of your comfort zones can also lead us to discovering new talents, loves, passions and even discoveries about ourselves. There was an old saying that said “Nothing amazing was ever created from inside comfort zones.” “Magic happens when you think outside of the box.” However, each situation is unique. It takes wisdom to know the difference between the good and bad pressures. It also takes courage to go against the gain and fight the pressures to be accepted by our peers. The desire to be accepted and approved of is a deep-rooted emotion that has been ingrained in our DNA from the beginning of time. It has been prevalent before language was even created. It’s a primal need that needs to be fulfilled and satisfied. To fight against the need for companionship is a futile mission. To be left out of a tribe or stranded on your own meant imminent and certain death. As human beings, we are social people who need others for our survival. However, the most import thing to keep in mind is who to listen to and what to adopt.
The most common pressure on teens are sex, driving, alcohol, drugs and even self-harm or suicide.
SEX
- One third or teenage males feel pressure from their friends to have sex.
- 23 percent of females feel pressure from their friends to have sex.
DRIVING
- 44 percent of teens drive better without friends in the car.
- 56 percent said they talk on their cell phones while driving.
DRUGS AND ALCHOL
- Teens with friends who do drugs and drink alcohol are more likely to do the same.
- Teens who do drugs and drink alcohol are more likely to convince their friends to do the same.
SELF-HARM OR SUICIDE
- Bullying often leads to suicidal thought in kids and teens.
- Teens with friends who self-injure are more likely to self-injure as well.
According to a publication in peer pressure by Parentfurther.com, only 10 percent of teenagers surveyed said that they had not been influenced by peer pressure. In that same group 28 percent of teenagers agreed that giving in to peer pressure improved their social standing and nearly half of those surveyed admitted to picking on someone only after a friend picked on that person.
Making this video was a memorable experience. It was fun and gave us a chance to express ourselves in personal ways. Struggles that were encountered while shooting was getting time schedules synchronized in a way that allowed each person an ample amount of time to participate and contribute to the storyline created. When working within groups, at times it can be difficult to settle on just one idea or vision. In cases such as these, it is important to take each idea into consideration and merge them in a way that satisfies each. After all, like the old saying says “Three heads are better than one “. A collaborative effort is more powerful than a singular one because perhaps others can see what one cannot. Editing was pretty simple and fun experience. Editing was a matter of figuring out what was most important to feature in the short span of time. Creating something personal that you can call your own is awesome. Posting the video was also an easy task. Posting is simply a matter of downloading and uploading, there’s nothing to it. There was no issued uploading to social media. The only issue that may occur with sending large videos is that it might not fit within an email. In that case, having a flash drive was extremely useful. Using video as a communication tool can be more effective than writing or photographs because it gives people an interactive vibe. It feels as if your traveling with the person through a journey instead of trying to understand what they mean. It’s easier to communicate your perspective because as human beings we all go through similar things so when we see others go through it, its familiar and relatable to us. Through writing and photographs you would have to interpret what the artist is trying to say and that can always be left up to interpretation which can be completely opposite of the actual message intended. The public nature did not affect the subject matter. The effects of peer pressure are evident in both a public or private settings. The self-portrait experience was fun. Depicting something personal about myself was difficult at first until I realized that the simple things I see and do every day describes me perfectly. Being a communication student is unique as well as things I do during off time such as watching particular sports. Where you live is also a unique aspect people might not know. Within my room I have a poster of Buddha as well as a Bob Marley poster which displays my spiritual and musical preferences. The stacks of various books also let the viewers know that knowledge lives here. Jade was the bad influence that took the cup out of my hand and persuaded me to smoke the Ganja. We got the concept in mind and improved the situation which made it look real and authentic. SUCCESS!
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