Peer group pressure is so rampant in our society today that all of our teenagers and youths want to feel among others, they all want to be referred to as big men and women. You can imagine a seventeen (17) years old boy who wants to become a millionaire overnight, they want to ride the biggest cars, use the latest phones and live in modern houses. They want to achieve something their forefathers didn't achieve before their generations, we can say our society contributes to some of the bad acts exhibited by these youngsters. Training a child in a well-mannered way is a big task for the family because building a peaceful society begins with the family. A healthy family will surely produce a healthy society.
Peer pressure can make one misbehave and this is common among our teenagers because they want to explore the new world they are growing into that is the adolescent stage, this is a stage they believe so much in what their friends say, this is a stage they want to do what other children of their age group are doing. In this stage, they confide more in their friends than in their parents. The emotional stress these children go through at this stage can only be corrected by experienced parents.
ABUSE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
The rate at which social media is abused in this present generation is alarming. I remembered when I was in ss1 that was when 2go was introduced, all my classmates talk about it and I feel inferior because I don't have a phone. This became a burden in my heart and I was trying every means to get a phone, my parents kicked against the idea of me having a phone then because they believed that will disturb my studies. I started saving on my transport and feeding just to get a phone to do what my classmates were doing, fortunately for me I was able to buy a phone and a sim then I started cruising on social media I was enjoying 2go chatting with different people not knowing I was in for big trouble. One faithful evening or should I say unfaithful evening when I came back from school I was sent on an errand I kept my phone in the inner pocket of my school bag, and my younger brother went into the lady's room started checking my school bag and voila he came across my phone took it to my father. On my way home I was singing joyfully the joy of having a phone overwhelmed me not knowing what I am into, as I entered I noticed the atmosphere had changed from how I left it immediately I knew something is up. My father summoned me and my siblings to the living room and he brought out my phone then I realized I am in hot soup. To cut the long story short my father beat the joy out of me that day even though I lied the phone wasn't for me he didn't believe it because I was disturbing him to get a phone for me earlier on. It was then I realized that life doesn't work like that you don't have to be who you are not just be yourself.
DISCRIMINATION
This is also an important factor we need to look into, most of these teenagers give in to peer pressure because they don't want to suffer discrimination. Discrimination can lead to depression and depression can lead to sudden death, this happens especially when you go to society when they are a bit okay in terms of financial capability. This will make one look inferior and at the end of the day you end up living a fake life just to meet up with the rich kids thereby ruining your future in the process. Tribal discrimination is also common, it happens when you find yourself in a society where your culture and norms don't match their own, they see you as an outcast and that can cause emotional stress for such teenagers or youth even adults in some cases. I remember my grandma giving me a stern warning against marrying from other tribes I just laughed and tell her if that was God's wish for me what should I do? This has ruined many relationships because their parents didn't give consent to Intra tribal marriages. Just like the xenophobia, we heard about some months ago.
BAD COMPANY
As an adage says "if you walk with corrupt minds you will be corrupt" which is true, bad companies corrupt good manners no matter how much you try to control yourself you will later end up doing what they are doing. You are a young boy you walk with a drug addict and you claim you don't take drugs who will believe you or you walk with a cultist and you want people to believe you don't belong to a cult group. That is why an adage says "dress the way you want to be addressed" and this is one thing I love about my tribe they have different proverbs for different situations just to validate their words. The company of who you walk with will determine what will accompany you. If you are in the company of wise you will surely be wise and that is why we need to be conscious of the people we walk with. If you walk with friends with all these disgusting habits surely sooner or later you will be lured into it especially when you need their financial assistance.
As I said earlier a healthy family will build a healthy society, self control is also important in living a worthy life in order not to fall victim to peer pressure. Work hard to be someone in life and never look down on yourself because once you let an inferiority complex set in it will be difficult to get back on your feet parents let's pay close attention to our children, listen to them be their best friend and a change will begin with you.
