Peer pressure and addiction is common during teenage years. Find out the impact of the peer group on your teenage kid and how to help the teen deal with the peer pressure. Peer pressure and addiction come hand in hand in a given situation. Although one must remember that they do not necessarily coexist in all cases. Teens are very vulnerable; they are developing a personality and at the same time learning a lot through exploration of all the uncharted territories. This at times leads to wrong choices due to overt experimentation and lack of awareness and support. The result is addiction to some undesirable habit that leads to harm and darkness. Just like you are a parent today, you would remember that even during your teenage years, you were a lot more dependent on information from your peer group than your parents or teachers. There are several issues that the teen feels more comfortable to discuss with the peer group than with any elder. So the impact of the peer group is very strong and undeniable in any teen’s life by far. This is where making the correct choice becomes so essential. In this articleWhat Leads to this Deadly Combo?How the Addiction is Born and GrowsThe Teen Is Reluctant to Come Out of the AddictionnWhat Leads to this Deadly Combo? As mentioned in the previous paragraph, teenage is a period when kids engage in a lot of experimentation. Some of them lead to some good or resourceful habit while, some lead to some bad and undesirable habit like addiction in different forms. As the teen tries to comprehend the world and how things work, they are involved in activities that may begin with simple curiosity but gradually end in addiction. As teens prefer to discuss ideas and thoughts more at ease with their peer group, the interaction and intermingling of those ideas take place mostly here too. As one engages in a certain addictive or potentially addictive activity, he spreads out the word in the group, and soon every other member falls into the ring. Then the group also tries to enhance this ring and draws others into it. This is when your teenager who probably was so far, not involved in any addictive activity, gets drawn into it, and becomes a victim of addiction as well. How the Addiction is Born and Grows There are many ways in which an addiction is born. Sometimes through mere experimentation or through wilful continuation of the act, being well aware of the fact that it is harmful, simply because a certain type of pleasure is derived from it. A teen can get drawn into the group due to peer pressure, like by making him feel isolated unless he falls into the ring. Then there is this urge to be considered as ‘cool’ and ‘happening’ by engaging in certain addictive activities and be acknowledged in the peer group. Then there are also situations where the teen is allured to the addiction. Like, he is offered a false picture of pleasure and fun. Addiction to drugs, alcohol, smoke, obscene material or any substance abuse does indeed provide an initial state of euphoria that is completely temporary. And then there is this sense of gloom and dejection setting in that draws out all the positive energy from the system, leaving the body and mind incapable of good performance be it, in studies or sports. But once the addiction is developed, it is quite difficult to come out of the habit. The Teen Is Reluctant to Come Out of the Addiction This is because of peer pressure again. The teen fears that he will be hauled up by the members or leaders of his peer group and be made fun of and humiliated for being not strong enough or man enough to handle the situation and giving into the wishes of the parents. Often we find that such peer groups who engage in these activities belong to a problematic background that they require a lot of help themselves. The teen therefore keeps tugging along the peer group for the fear of embarrassment, isolation and losing his status as a ‘cool’ guy. It thus becomes very important for the parents to help the teen deal with the peer pressure and come out of the addiction through an organised approach of support. Be affectionate to the teen and help him realise that these are bad practices and he is wasting his life indulging in pursuing such habits. Provide him with exciting and fun alternatives that will engage his mind and take his attention away from the addictive activities. Ensure that he is living in a positive environment that is conducive to emotional and psychological growth. Eventually, you are sure to see positive results; you just need to be patient and understanding.
Peer pressure and addiction is common during teenage years. Find out the impact of the peer group on your teenage kid and how to help the teen deal with the peer pressure. Peer pressure and addiction come hand in hand in a given situation. Although one must remember that they do not necessarily coexist in all cases. Teens are very vulnerable; they are developing a personality and at the same time learning a lot through exploration of all the uncharted territories. This at times leads to wrong choices due to overt experimentation and lack of awareness and support. The result is addiction to some undesirable habit that leads to harm and darkness.
Just like you are a parent today, you would remember that even during your teenage years, you were a lot more dependent on information from your peer group than your parents or teachers. There are several issues that the teen feels more comfortable to discuss with the peer group than with any elder. So the impact of the peer group is very strong and undeniable in any teen’s life by far. This is where making the correct choice becomes so essential.
What Leads to this Deadly Combo?
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, teenage is a period when kids engage in a lot of experimentation. Some of them lead to some good or resourceful habit while, some lead to some bad and undesirable habit like addiction in different forms. As the teen tries to comprehend the world and how things work, they are involved in activities that may begin with simple curiosity but gradually end in addiction. As teens prefer to discuss ideas and thoughts more at ease with their peer group, the interaction and intermingling of those ideas take place mostly here too.
As one engages in a certain addictive or potentially addictive activity, he spreads out the word in the group, and soon every other member falls into the ring. Then the group also tries to enhance this ring and draws others into it. This is when your teenager who probably was so far, not involved in any addictive activity, gets drawn into it, and becomes a victim of addiction as well.
How the Addiction is Born and Grows
There are many ways in which an addiction is born. Sometimes through mere experimentation or through wilful continuation of the act, being well aware of the fact that it is harmful, simply because a certain type of pleasure is derived from it. A teen can get drawn into the group due to peer pressure, like by making him feel isolated unless he falls into the ring. Then there is this urge to be considered as ‘cool’ and ‘happening’ by engaging in certain addictive activities and be acknowledged in the peer group.
Then there are also situations where the teen is allured to the addiction. Like, he is offered a false picture of pleasure and fun. Addiction to drugs, alcohol, smoke, obscene material or any substance abuse does indeed provide an initial state of euphoria that is completely temporary. And then there is this sense of gloom and dejection setting in that draws out all the positive energy from the system, leaving the body and mind incapable of good performance be it, in studies or sports. But once the addiction is developed, it is quite difficult to come out of the habit.
The Teen Is Reluctant to Come Out of the Addiction
This is because of peer pressure again. The teen fears that he will be hauled up by the members or leaders of his peer group and be made fun of and humiliated for being not strong enough or man enough to handle the situation and giving into the wishes of the parents. Often we find that such peer groups who engage in these activities belong to a problematic background that they require a lot of help themselves. The teen therefore keeps tugging along the peer group for the fear of embarrassment, isolation and losing his status as a ‘cool’ guy.
It thus becomes very important for the parents to help the teen deal with the peer pressure and come out of the addiction through an organised approach of support. Be affectionate to the teen and help him realise that these are bad practices and he is wasting his life indulging in pursuing such habits. Provide him with exciting and fun alternatives that will engage his mind and take his attention away from the addictive activities. Ensure that he is living in a positive environment that is conducive to emotional and psychological growth. Eventually, you are sure to see positive results; you just need to be patient and understanding.
