Peer pressure is a very potent force. It is just like the fire, and dried grass when it falls upon the grass, It lights it up.
Peer pressure either makes a society good or bad. For instance, if a particular set of people in a society that are in a certain age range are doing good, you will notice that almost every person within that age range is either doing the same thing or desiring to do it.
The lives of people are shaped not only by the kind of training they get from home alone but also by their peers. When you hear people start saying things like, "But everybody is doing it," just know that peer pressure is at work.
I used to tell those around me that I was so lucky to be brought up in a community where my peers were God-fearing. It takes only God's mercy to grow in a community of wrong peers and not be influenced. Even if it doesn't affect you physically, psychologically it will do something to you.
We are in the days when young people are eager to make money. You see every young person doing whatever, some not even minding the consequences, just to prove that they are also part of the trend.
Truly, it hurts to see people of your age having wealth and material things while you are still struggling to survive. You may pretend to others that you are not being moved but deep down you know that you are not okay.
Things like this have the potency of pushing young people to do crazy things just to attain that height.
In my community today, it's as if everyone wants to show that they have money. Life has turned into a competition for the young. When you are talking with people they want to know how much is your balance.
I have heard of many young people who became ritualists just so as not to miss out on the trend. So many people today are internet fraudsters. Nobody wants to follow a process in life again, they want the money quickly. They feel it's what everyone is doing, I can't be left out, so let's do it too.
Recently, among women it's the issue of marriage, once a lady reaches a certain age and she isn't married, it becomes a thing of serious concern. You hear them say my mates are getting married but I am not, something must be off somewhere. Things like that lead a lot of young ladies to get into marriage wrongly.
Of course, if you are not strong enough, things like that can make you deviate from the right way to join the trend too but to what end? Who do you want to prove a point to? After proving the point how much will you be awarded?
It's not wrong to desire to do what your peers are doing (if it's good) but you shouldn't let it lead you astray.
Life is not a competition, if your peers seem to arrive before you, it's their time, celebrate with them and keep building yourself, your time will surely come too.
A lot of people when they hear about peer pressure the first thing that comes into their mind is young people. Do not be deceived, even elderly people face the problem of peer pressure, just guard your heart and be smart so that you don't get carried away by the noise the world is making.
Peer pressure is like a double-edged sword, it can either make or destroy depending on the side that is in action. It's a very dangerous tool that can contaminate an entire generation.
Pressure from peers is certain, but it is totally up to individuals to choose whether to dance according to the tune or walk away. Of course, our peers will definitely be found doing certain things either good or bad. It's left for us to decide whether to go with them or step aside.
This is my entry for #aprilinleo day 11. Feel very free to check it out
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