My question and view on peer pressure
WARNING: WALL OF TEXT; SUMMARY FOLLOWS
PRE-READING SUMMARY: I am appalled by the lengths kids go to just to be viewed as "cool" by their peers, and want to share a few examples to see if you guys agree with me or not.
Well - I have viewed a few different kinds of peer pressure - and I want to know something - what drives people to do this? Why do kids commit acts such as these?
NOTE: Before I possibly get flamed, I would like to say that I do not believe these kids are cool, but since other people worship them and are afraid, they fly up the popularity chain...
These are personal examples from me, a 12 year old/7th grader...
A couple of examples:
Two boys in my town blew up a five gallon gas container when they were home alone. Another boy, one of my friends, advised them not to, but they insisted.
Now, one of the boys can't walk, and the other one has been in an induced coma for over a month, and may not make it.
My question is - why would you do that? For the thrill? I don't see a thrill in that, and I doubt they do. What is the logic behind this? Social Status? Fun?
My next example is my friend - who also uses this site - played with me on xBox today. I played the game he wanted to play for two hours (not to mention the game gets boring after about 30 minutes), and then we FINALLY play the game I want to play. He sees his friends are playing it, and ditches me. I try to join them, but get kicked for being... "annoying". Then, he decides to not leave the kids, and play with them for two hours. The audacity of that got me ticked. I went and raged in word to myself over how insecure this must make people feel, and how I want to give everyone a guilt trip.
The two hours was not the point - the fact that someone would ditch their friend for the "Cool kids" kills me inside a bit.
Finally, this one sickens me - my girlfriend is considered "cool" to and extent. Her and I were holding hands in school, and one of her peers noticed it. She then was shunned by the "cool girls" for holding hands with an "average boy" and not a "cool/hot boy". They wouldn't talk to her after that, but I stood up for her, and they backed off.
Wow. That is messed up in my opinion, just because I'm average doesn't mean she can't like me.
Thank you if you read all the way through, please leave comments of your beliefs of people of this nature.
Also, I write and read for fun, so the sophistication of my writing may be higher then the average expectations of a 12 year old.
7 Comments • Newest first
[quote=Deciduous]you just seemed very clueless about the gas situation, which means you really wouldn't know motives and all the intricacies of it, that's all i really meant.
and i'll just start off by saying middle school is a pretty big suck and stuff fluctuates a lot. i'd hope your friend is just moving around socially and it doesn't mean anything concrete, but you gain and lose friends pretty easily in middle school but you can always try to patch those relationships up in HS after people come to their senses.[/quote]
thanks,
im going to sleep now, almost midnight here... i'll read in the morning to see if any more posts appear...
and to clear things up:
I do not want to try or be cool in any form. I just want to live an average life, but I have my views that I wanted to share about how peer pressure has affected me or people that I know.
night
[quote=FieryStaff]This is the kind of post I hoped for.
Something debatable.
I agree to an extent that I don't know what I'm talking about for the gas explosion,
My friend doesn't normally do things like that - is it a sign of growing apart, or a sign that he is trying to be cool is what I was trying to say for my second example,
as for my third, thanks.
@above, disregard the last edit, didn't read the post through.
I play with the people I want to, I don't care if people invite me or not, just pisses me off that he would ditch me after I did him a favor.[/quote]
you just seemed very clueless about the gas situation, which means you really wouldn't know motives and all the intricacies of it, that's all i really meant.
and i'll just start off by saying middle school is a pretty big suck and stuff fluctuates a lot. i'd hope your friend is just moving around socially and it doesn't mean anything concrete, but you gain and lose friends pretty easily in middle school but you can always try to patch those relationships up in HS after people come to their senses.
With the xbox thingg, I think your friend was a meanie.
The girlfriend thing.. i'm glad that you stood up for her.
goodfoyouu~ -patpat-
[quote=Deciduous]well for the gas thing you don't even know what you're talking about, so disregarded.
for the xbox thing he ditched you for other friends (your own words), so i don't see what's weird there other than your friend being a jerk.
the girlfriend thing is actually relevant though, glad to hear it got resolved.
i really don't get behind peer pressure because pressure of any kind is aggravating. but i feel like peer pressure is there for the right reasons in some cases, like parties and so on, so kids get life experience and further educate and solidify their values. the con being that some people get sucked in and lose their lives to that stuff...[/quote]
This is the kind of post I hoped for.
Something debatable.
I agree to an extent that I don't know what I'm talking about for the gas explosion, and now I edited the post a bit for the part I believe I misunderstood.
My friend doesn't normally do things like that - is it a sign of growing apart, or a sign that he is trying to be cool is what I was trying to say for my second example,
as for my third, thanks.
@above, disregard the last edit, didn't read the post through.
I play with the people I want to, I don't care if people invite me or not, just pisses me off that he would ditch me after I did him a favor.
well for the gas thing you don't even know what you're talking about, so disregarded.
for the xbox thing he ditched you for other friends (your own words), so i don't see what's weird there other than your friend being a jerk.
the girlfriend thing is actually relevant though, glad to hear it got resolved.
i really don't get behind peer pressure because pressure of any kind is aggravating. but i feel like peer pressure is there for the right reasons in some cases, like parties and so on, so kids get life experience and further educate and solidify their values. the con being that some people get sucked in and lose their lives to that stuff...
[quote=MyNaginata]For the gas thingy, you have to understand that for some people, there's a certain fun in burning or blowing things up. Yes it's dangerous to a degree, but fun. Obviously you don't stand next to something like a burning gas can or a gunpowder keg.[/quote]
My question is why?
Yes, blowing things up is fun, but at 12 years old and no training whatsoever, there is a massive risk to be taken.
Plus, I know them, and they don't seem like pyromaniacs...
:/
@nightmare666, I am glad the way I am, I don't want to be like that, the people sicken me. I have my own friends, I refuse to have any part in a clique containing kids like that...
I don't believe in peer pressure. I do things out of my own will.