When we hear the term "peer pressure," people tend to think about the negative aspect of it, thereby forgetting the positive aspect. Like I always tell people, in life, there is always the good and the bad.
I've found myself in a situation where my peers encouraged me to do something beneficial which involves the smallest things like studying. I know often people only put their attention on the negative aspects of peer pressure, like children influencing their peers to engage in smoking during school hours or even skipping classes and hanging out in unpleasant places; no doubt all these happen, but then there is a positive side as well.
Little movie story: There is this movie I just finished watching, the lead character is someone who wants to study but then he can't do it alone because he isn't academically inclined, so the people he got attracted to in terms of studying were the bad guys and these guys are super intelligent but yet they still engage in other not-so-good activities in school.
So this guy started hanging around the guys for what he wanted and also for how he could be able to change or influence them to deviate from the not-so-good acts. Things went on smoothly, although some days weren't always filled with roses, but then he didn't give up; in the end, he became good friends with the guys and started studying with them.
We have the veto power to influence people positively, just like the way we have the power to influence them negatively; the thing is that we just have to stay focused on our goals and help others.
I hear others draw the conclusion that peer pressure only has a negative impact on people, I'm gonna use myself as an example. Growing up, I used to be this shy girl who didn't hang around my peers, though my mum was in support of it, the problem was me, I didn't just feel the need for a thing like that.
When I started senior secondary school, I noticed that I needed support, the one my parents can't provide but a peer. Being the shy type, I couldn't even walk up to people and tell them, "Hey! Can we friend?" Hello! If I do that, I think I will freeze forever.
So one fateful day, someone, "a peer," walked up to me in class, and Fortunately, we started conversing, I didn't feel weird. Rather, I was enjoying the company and the topic of discussion. My friend "Yeah! You heard right" was this jovial type who participated in every school activity from sports to the least you could think of. Often she would pressure me to follow her to training, and when I get there, she would introduce me to the other peers and before I knew it, I'd found myself communicating with them.
As time goes, I could feel my shyness disappearing, slowly draining out of me. Because of my friend, I can stand in a crowded place and speak, but in the beginning, it wasn't so. Peers often encourage us to try new things. The unwavering support they show when we are doing the right thing is superb.
Participating in school activities me realize that the school doesn't revolve around me; there is a whole school I'm in that I didn't know certain things happen because I was shy and kept to myself. I would have graduated from school without knowing the information and activities I knew when I met my friend. Or let's say I wouldn't have participated in any as well.
Being able to be a part of the school system, not sitting in class learning alone, I got to learn that sometimes we need people to activate us to do certain things, not everything that is taught in the classroom; there are things outside the classroom that needs to be learned as well.
Thanks for reading 🧡