Peer pressure can be prevented

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With new trends of fashion fads constantly emerging, neighborhood kids always seeming to be taking part in group commotions, and TV shows consistently reminding teenagers of what they are missing out on, many teenagers do not get the chance to live independently rendering to their own opinions because of constant peer pressure.

With new trends of fashion fads constantly emerging, neighborhood kids always seeming to be taking part in group commotions, and TV shows consistently reminding teenagers of what they are missing out on, many teenagers do not get the chance to live independently rendering to their own opinions because of constant peer pressure.

Kids giving in to the influences of media, movies, commercials, and pop songs results in these kids never realizing their true interests and personal beliefs. The reason for that is because the media constantly insists that there could only be one truth and that whatever else these kids could be thinking is complete nonsense.

It always seems as if youth never has the chance to look into topics and ideas for themselves and allow their own experiences to influence their decisions. Such circumstances of peer pressure not only affect daily decisions, such as how to dress or what music to listen, but influences the choices that could affect them for life, such as the decision of what career to pursue.

And it is not only personal beliefs and opinions that peer pressure has an effect on. Pressure from peers to get involved in drugs and alcohol can lead to fatal issues and, all too often, disastrous consequences. Car crashes from drinking while driving and brain damage from substance addiction take away the lives of many teenagers all because those teenagers gave into peer pressure.

And believe it or not, these heavy streams of peer pressure, which influence lifelong decisions and lead to early death, are not unavoidable. Teenagers themselves have the choice of whether or not they want to be influenced by such actions.

By making friends with similar interests, joining clubs and sports that interest them and take their mind off of constant pressure, teenagers can live the life they want to live and not let others live it for them.

Befriending peers with similar interests will help teenagers develop and maintain opinions that reflect who they are as individuals, not what they watch on TV or which pop celebrity they are keeping up with. In addition, having friends with the same kinds of beliefs will provide teenagers with more confidence in sharing their thoughts and standing up for what they believe. True friends, guaranteed, would not consider your opinions to be complete and utter nonsense. Those who do believe so are not your friends.

Joining certain clubs and sports based on your personal interests and goals will certainly alleviate the pressure received from peers who influence you to do what you do not really want to. Participating in sports and clubs will strengthen your interests for a particular activity and, in turn, will steadily provide you with more control over your decisions and with more power to reject peer pressure.

Giving into peer pressure is a powerful temptation that can lead to devastating effects. But, teenagers hold the ability to turn away from it and lead a life based purely on their own decisions.