A Speech on “Why Peer Pressure Can Be Damaging”

Good (—). I am here today to tell you all about why peer pressure can be damaging. Teenage is the age where a person develops the characteristics and behaviors that shape a person. Peer pressure is the influence of the peer group. Having good peers is very important in the development of teenagers. While peers can impose positive changes, most times, it has shown to have damaging effects.

The most common damages of peer pressure are smoking, drinking, doing drugs, cheating, lying, early engagement in sexual activities and sexualizing the opposite gender, and so many more. Some teens develop depression, frustration, stress, major behavioral issues, and other mental problems.

High school is the time where children have a lot of responsibilities like doing homework, submitting assignments on time, studying for exams, and helping with chores at home and so much more. On top of this, they also have to deal with peer pressure and most of the time teens don’t even realize that it is destroying them.

Peers provide solutions and remedies for relieving the school and family pressure by engaging in bad activities like alcohol, drugs, and anti-social activities. When they do it together, they feel like they are having fun and will not realize how it is destroying their life. 

Teens tend to be confused and bad at making decisions. Peers offer them advice and help and people tend to merely follow it without thinking about the consequences that may follow. 

Most people give in to peer pressure fearing they may be excluded from their friends’ group if they don’t fit in well. They want to be like their friends as they do not want to be left out or it may affect their self-esteem. People are different. It is not necessary that people in a group must have the exact same ideologies and thoughts. When it doesn’t match and the person has to make several adjustments that don’t match his personality, it may lead to depression and anxiety.

It is very important that we take care of ourselves by not letting ourselves be overwhelmed by another person or his ideologies. 

Peers do have a lot to do with a person’s behavior and the choices they make for life. It is very important to choose peers carefully as, for most teenagers, their lives may depend on it. As the saying goes, you are judged by the company you keep. You also mostly grow up to be the company you keep.

Be wise while choosing your friends and partners. Surround yourself with good people. Most of the time, your parents are right about your friends. If they don’t approve of your friends, you need to look into that companionship and change it if you feel that it is not right for you. It is better to wait or be alone than in bad company. You need to know where to draw the boundary between pleasing others out of social inclusiveness and being forced to please others by doing anything just to fit in.

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