Positive Peer Pressure

Why does peer pressure always have negative connotations? There can be good peer pressure too!

- Shobs

Everyone grows with peer pressure… indeed, that's why it is aptly named 'Pressure'. Although we have schools to receive education, there is so much that happens beyond mere education. It may also be a place where one can develop relationships with many different people, join clubs and activities and of course, play different sports. This is also a time where peer pressure is most commonly felt by the vast majority of teens. The influence can range from cheating in a test to bunking, smoking to lying or skipping a class, etc. The list is endless. Everyone knows it...

The concept of peer pressure has been spoken about in so many ways. However, defining peer pressure in a positive manner may sound completely absurd to many. I can vouch for positive peer pressure and say that it does exist. And the trend is changing from negative to positive peer pressure.

Here is a blow-by-blow sequence of events in my life as a teenager. Read on to be a positive change in your peer group.

I shifted school for my higher secondary education and making new friends was a major change in my comfort zone. I was used to a certain kind of behavior from my early primary to tenth grade but the shift from tenth to eleventh was very different in terms of subjects and friends.

During the first few days into school, I remember attending my commerce classes and hating every minute of it. I was a good student but then I wanted new friends in my class. I got daily assignments and weekly work to do, yet I did not feel motivated enough to complete any of them and I often felt like the dumbest person in the class who couldn't comprehend the basics. My eyes were rolling around to see who I could hang out with.