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The effects of peer pressure on teenagers
The effects of peer pressure on teenagers
Effects of peer pressure on teens
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Trying to find individuality in a world of social expectations is the single most trying challenge any one person is expected to overcome. “The Queen Bee and Her Court” by Rosalind Wiseman gives us an in depth look at high school cliques and social hierarchies, and the effects of peer pressure while trying to find oneself. From the Queen Bee who utilizes her power to control the wannabes, to the target who is just waiting for the end of high school, everyone can see themselves in at least one of the author’s stereotypical positions. Before starting this assignment, I will admit that I was skeptical of the idea I could even possibly learn anything from this book. I asked myself “How can the author really know how high school is?”. Overtime, …show more content…
however, I realized the truth in everything that she wrote. High school is a place to figure out individuality and sense of self. However, it is hard to do so when there are so many social expectations and societal rules to follow. As I pondered this truth, I realized that not only is this exemplary of high school; however, it carries on throughout collage and even into career. No matter where life takes someone on their path, there will always be a pleaser, there will always be a target, and there will always be sidekicks and queen bees. The most important thing, is learning to co-exist with the peer pressure that comes along with the ever repeating social patterns. As one author says, “No matter where you are in your life, whatever set of people you're with, it all still breaks down like high school does. You have your social cliques, you have the people you get along with, the people you don't and the people you're ambivalent about. All of the dynamics are still here.” (MLA CITATION) Undoubtedly, three types of peer pressure will be present all throughout the different turning points of life; including: bullying, negative peer pressure, and positive peer pressure. First and foremost, bullying is a form of peer pressure that utilizes ones’ superior strength or influence to intimidate, typically to force him or her to do what they want.
For example, the Queen Bee from Rosalind Wiseman’s “Queen Bee and Her Court”, wants everyone to act like her; when they do she calls them out on it. She bullies those viewed as less than her and makes fun of them, sometimes calling them names - especially the Target. Seeing them as a simple victim as a result of their typically introverted and shy natures, she will exploit these weaknesses by telling them that they are just not good enough, not pretty enough, or too fat - even though it is untrue. Though the Queen Bee may gain a feeling of power from being able to tell people what parties to attend, how one should dress, and whom to converse with, she loses a sense of humanity. For instance, if anyone goes against her, she becomes ruthless, threatening them and blackmailing them with potentially dangerous information into obeying her every command. Moreover, should the Target attend a party that the Queen Bee is also attending, The Queen Bee may incessantly call her names and bully her until the Target is compelled to leave. In spite of this, the Queen Bee will have a group constantly reassuring her and complimenting her, as they are afraid of upsetting or angering her if they do anything different. Nevertheless, though they support her, they more than likely do not like her and fear, as she is cruel. …show more content…
Many believe that this will end after high school; however, upon further examination, I realized that the high school Queen Bee could translate into an unfair boss or rude co-worker who thinks that they are better than everyone else. Whether they overrule the “weak link” or target in the boardroom, or steal their ideas and use their pitches as their own, one thing is for certain: stereotypes will never cease to exist. Additionally, negative peer pressure is a type of peer pressure that will exist in high school and throughout the entirety of life.
Negative peer pressure occurrs when classmates, or other people of similar age, try to convince one to do something that may have a dangerous or harmful end result. Usually, blackmail and secrets are tools used to instigate this type of social control. The most common denominator in negative peer pressure, is drugs and alcohol, however, this is not always the case. For example, the Banker stereotype will be one to have all the intimidating details and secrets of the entire group. She knows things that no one else knows, and can use them against anyone she wants, at anytime she wants. For instance, if she becomes angry at the Sidekick over something that she said, the Banker can tell the Queen Bee her secret. It could be that the Sidekick said something negative or rude about the Queen Bee, or worse. However, the Banker can blackmail the Sidekick into doing something for her in exchange for not telling the information that she knows, resulting in negative peer pressure. In the event that the Queen Bee finds out that the Sidekick was talking about her behind her back, it could cause the Sidekick to lose her position in the group. Since she will not allow this to happen, it opens the door for the Banker to have a secret control over the group; possibly even as much as the Queen Bee at times. Nonetheless, this usually comes from a place of
loneliness, and the Banker is actually hated by everyone, using her information to make others fear her, versus liking her. This affects everyone, from the Queen Bee to the target, as she can utilize this misery on anyone she wishes. Again having the potential to carry out into life, this could translate to a jealous co- worker who found out that someone took a sick day when they were not actually in need of it, and blackmailing them into doing work for them in exchange for not alerting the boss, which could result in job loss. As one can see, this is something that will never go away. The final type of peer pressure, is positive peer pressure. Positive peer pressure is defined as pressing someone to do something good, or something that will benefit them in the end. In terms of high school cliques, the floater would be the one to administer this type of peer pressure. Whether it be encouraging someone who seems lonely to come with them to go eat with another friend group, or asking someone to hang out that normally does not go anywhere, they encourage people more than tear them down. As a result of this, the floater is genuinely liked by everyone for who he/she is. They make everyone feels accepted and do not pressure people to do things they do not want to The floater is the only one of the stereotypes that does not lose anything with their social standings, and is undoubtedly in the best position. In the workplace, this will be the person whom is always encouraging others to do their best, and may be that person who brings treats for everyone before a big meeting. As one can see, the floater stereotype is present throughout life, and is the best one to be. All in all, peer pressure is a common theme throughout the whole of life. Whether positive peer pressure , negative peer pressure, or bullying, it is something that everyone will have to deal with at some point in their life. According to “Queen Bee and Her Court”, by author Rosalind Wiseman, this directly correlates with the major stereotypes depicted within the story. Existing throughout life, from high school through career, this is something that will last through the ages.
Gormly, Kellie B. "Peer Pressure - for Students and Adults - Can Be Positive." TribLIVE.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.
No one would talk to her, recess was spent in anguish, and she would find garbage and spoiled food in her book bag. As she progressed into 5th grade, some of the social atmosphere began to shift in subtle but profound ways. Being accepted into a clique is all that matters. Instead of being admired for class participation, as in earlier years she was laughed at and labeled as “teacher’s pet.” She said the rules were simple “shun or be shunned—if you weren’t willing to go along with the crowd, you would become the reject.”
Peer pressure is a substantial challenge faced by teenagers in the modern world. From negative peer pressure to positive peer pressure and bullying, everyone will face these taxing obstacles at some point in their lives. The article “Queen Bee and Her Court” by Rosalind Wiseman gives us a detailed understanding of how the seven stereotypes in high school cliques fit into these pressures. In reading this article, I realized the truth behind the patterns presented by the author. Peer Pressure often revolves around one thing: power. Furthermore, everyone met in the hallways unfailingly falls into one of the seven categories as described throughout the story. As Rosalind Wiseman says, “Our best politicians and diplomats couldn't do better than
Peer pressure can be to do something that is legal but against one 's morals, and some peer pressure can be for a person to do something illegal. In The Breakfast Club, the viewer sees that stereotypes can create peer pressure. For example, as the "brain", Brian experiences pressure from both friends and family to maintain a very high GPA. This isn 't necessarily bad peer pressure until Brian gets a failing grade on a workshop assignment. This peer pressure and the expectation of living up to his given stereotype leads him to contemplate suicide. Like the other detention students, the viewer realizes there is a person behind the "brain" who has feelings such as fear and disappointment. The film also presents another type of peer pressure that occurs in every high school, the treatment of other students who are not in your social group. For instance, Claire admits that when Monday arrives, there is a good chance she will not speak to any of the kids in the Saturday detention because of what her friends might think. She admits she "hates having to go along with everything" her friends want. She further explains, "you don 't understand the pressure that they can put on you!" This type of peer pressure isn 't directly spoken, but it is caused by fear of judgment from her own social class. Another example of peer pressure is show in the library when Bender goes to the back of the library to
When life becomes overwhelming during adolescence, a child’s first response is to withdraw from the confinement of what is considered socially correct. Individuality then replaces the desire to meet social expectations, and thus the spiral into social non-conformity begins. During the course of Susanna’s high school career, she is different from the other kids. Susanna:
The high schools are made up of cliques and the artificial intensity of a world defined by insiders and outsiders. (Botstein pg.20) The insiders hold control. over the outsiders because of good looks, popularity, and sports power; the teacher. and staff do nothing to stop them, the elite.
Peer pressure is doing something that is not quite normal, but your friends pressure you into the situation because they do it. This definition of peer pressure is something that is always happening, especially with the world changing each day. Things like tobacco, alcohol, and drugs, are all possibilities that peer pressure is related to. However, in the texts “Shooting and Elephant” by George Orwell and “No Witchcraft for Sale” by Doris Lessing demonstrate peer pressure among many thing; however, there are many solutions resulting in good things compared to the bad things that have happened. Solutions to peer pressure in these texts could be many things, but the three that would work best would be: ignore the person, walk away, and lastly, know that you should not do anything you do not feel comfortable with.
One should remember that not all peer pressure is bad, although that is mostly what you see today. Good peer pressure needs to be done more, because why would you want to make someone do something bad, instead of helping them do something good and impacting them, because honestly who would want a worse world rather than a better one? Truly the way to improve our lives as human beings lies on peer pressure, it is at the core of ways we can make a change for a better, and not more for the
To be a teenaged girl means many things in this modern society. There are numerous expectations set for the average sixteen year old female: she must be pretty, popular, thin, preferably intelligent, but not too intelligent, and she must subjugate her will to the group. This world has a tendency to shun females who are too independent, who seek too much power, and who attempt to break from the stereotypical female mold. I have personally experienced this spurning, especially from my peers. There exists a dichotomy somewhere in my own soul, a rift between that which I am expected to be and who I really am. Harry Haller, in Hermann Hesse's novel Steppenwolf, experienced a similar predicament. He was torn between the life of a socially acceptable, "decent" man, and the primal, lupine nature of the Steppenwolf. I find myself caught between wanting to be a socially acceptable, "popular" girl, and being the independent, intellectual, and strong person that I actually am. There are a number of parallels between Haller and I, each further proving that the dichotomy of the Steppenwolf and the division within myself, the teenaged girl, are of the same essence.
... instead of following the majority. The issue of peer pressure can relate to teens, as they are in constant pressure to be ‘cool’ or to be in the ‘in’ group. It does not really promote individualism, so people cannot develop their own ideas but rather follow the leader of their group.
Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Secret Life of Bees, indirectly characterizes Rosaleen Daise as proud to display the harsh reality of the racist south during the Civil Rights Movement. Rosaleen, Lily’s stand-in mother, portrayed her racial pride through her actions on the Fourth of July, the day she planned to register to vote: “coming alongside the men, Rosaleen lifted her snuff jug, which was filled with black spit, and calmly poured it across the tops of the men’s shoes, moving her hand in little loops like she was writing her name-- Rosaleen Daise-- just the way she’d practiced” (32). The Civil Rights Movement was a turbulent time in the South, especially for African Americans, who had just received the right to vote. Rosaleen, an ignorant
The adolescence is proposing questions of self-identity and trying to understand more of self during these years. Mean Girls emphasizes these self-identifications by capturing different cliques and group of people that the high schoolers associate and label themselves as. For instance in the film, Cady is being accepted by Janis and Damian, but they want Cady to engage in a risky behavior by associating herself as “The Plastics.” This plan started out with the intention of trying to find out more high school secrets and to humiliate “The Plastics,” but Cady turned more like them as she received more acceptance by them. Mean Girls demonstrates not only the sense of self emerging during the adolescent age, but the struggles of all it takes to find a sense of self-identity. Cady eventually put her relationship with Janis and Damian, parents, and acquaintances of school on the line by trying to maintain her “Plastic”
Basically, the difference between negative and positive peer pressure is the outcome. The reverse of the situation above is negative peer pressure. The situation itself is positive peer pressure. Or is it? What if a teen really doesn't like sports, but pushes himself to do it to please his friends or to be accepted? Therefore, he probably doesn't do to well at it, and gets only jabs at hi...
Peer pressure is when we are influenced to do something we normally wouldn't do because we want to fit in with other people or be accepted by our peers (A peer is someone you look up to like a friend, someone in the community or even someone on TV).
When you are a teenager and you have friends that ask you to do something for them and you do not then they get mad. Then think you are a loser and that is ever person's nightmare, to not be liked. Peer pressure is no piece of cake. It is like choosing the wrong thing for what you think is right at that very moment, and then regretting it afterwards, because your parents find out. But most would not care about what they do wrong or right. Unless there is a chance of parental disappointment, and a lot of the time that is the case.