IS PEER PRESSURE A REAL THING?

We have all succumbed to peer pressure at some point. Here's what the term means and the impact it has on our lives

- DR CHANDNI TUGNAIT

Peer pressure is a real phenomenon, that much is obvious. The urge to follow what our friends or peers are doing, even if we aren't fully comfortable with it, is something we have all experienced at some point in our lives.

Despite its widespread use, there is still much disagreement over whether peer pressure is a genuine phenomena. Some claim that it's only the result of our personal decisions and choices, while others insist that it's a genuine societal force that has the power to affect our behaviour. On the one hand, psychological research has demonstrated that individuals are more likely to follow the social standards of their group in order to fit in. However, some experts contend that additional variables, such as the desire to appease superiors or the fear of rejection, might also account for conformist behaviour. Here are a few examples of how peer pressure can impact an individual