I’m sure we’ve all seen the advertisements for D.A.R.E or other similar programs where a shady guy offers you a cigarette after school. These depictions, while dramatic, don’t always capture the full complexity of peer pressure in real life. Peer pressure is something often talked about but never as black and white as it seems. Sometimes it’s unspoken and waiting for you to make a choice, sometimes it’s fashion choices, or even the self desire of wanting to “fit in” with your peers. 

In the 60’s there was peer pressure but it wasn’t the same, there were pressures around joining social movements like the Civil Rights act and protesting against the Vietnam war. In the 60’s hippie culture was introduced for adolescents as well. The nature of the peer pressure at this time focused more on taking a stand, fitting into a political or cultural group and it emphasizes the focus shift from the 50’s to 60’s. In the 50’s, it was expected of you to be married young and have children, be a devout christian, and drink Coca-Cola. However, most of the pressures throughout the decades are very similar. Things like pressure to join in on drinking or smoking, the struggles to fit in, and all the internal struggles of growing up.

However, the main change from the years is the rise of social media. Through social media the desire for validation from peers increases significantly. Social media also makes the spread of “trends” way easier. Throughout the years a series of dangerous social media trends have popped up making it a scary place for many teens or kids. Things like the “Nutmeg Challenge” Is a trend where you could swallow large amounts of nutmeg to get high. The issue with this is it was marketed to younger audiences who couldn’t legally buy drugs and had many severe complications like vomiting, hallucinations, seizures, or death. There were many variations of similar trends, some like the “Blue whale challenge” or trends that promoted peer-on-peer violence, such as the “Skull Breaker challenge.”

Of course, not all examples of peer pressure will kill you, however, they all can be damaging to your physical or mental health. The desire to fit in makes you extremely unhappy and damages your self image. Extreme body and diet trends spread rapidly through social media and while they may not seem like peer pressure in the traditional sense, they definitely are. These trends push individuals to conform to unrealistic standards of beauty or health, which can lead to unhealthy habits and body image issues. 

In conclusion, peer pressure today is not always the in-your-face type, the shady guy with a cigarette that people often imagine, but it still holds power in shaping behaviors and decisions, particularly through the influence of social media. The effects of this subtle pressure can be devastating,  subtly through the platforms and trends of social media. Despite its less visible nature, the influence of peer pressure remains powerful, shaping behaviors and decisions. We have to recognize its presence and take steps to protect our mental and physical health in a world that is extremely influenced by the opinions and trends of others.