Today’s Peer Pressure

Peer pressure has always been a part of the adolescent experience. While peer pressure exists for people of all ages, it reaches its zenith during the teen years. One significant difference between today’s peer pressure and the kind that took place thirty or more years ago is the form it takes. Peer pressure used to manifest itself through an individual or group’s verbal invitation to “go ahead and do it,” with both the sender and the receiver knowing full well that the encouraged behavior was wrong. Typically, there was an element of having to sneak around and not get caught. Now, more often than not, the pressure takes the form of an unspoken expectation to participate in behavior that is generally accepted as normal and right by  teenage peers and even many adults. As a result, today’s peer pressure is much greater than anything I ever knew or experienced during my adolescence. Yes, peer pressure is very difficult for our kids. Pray for your kids, asking God to give them an ability to stand up for what’s right.