Mental health and self-esteem make our world the world it is. Everybody has a reason to be here. Mental health nowadays, is extremely crucial to our world, along with self-esteem. In this series, I’ll elaborate on the different challenges our generation goes through and how to help someone or yourself go through them. No one is in this alone, we are all growing up in the same world together.

Something I’ve seen throughout my high school and elementary career is peer pressure in students, it seems to have died down a bit in my high school career, but I remember it in my elementary years. Obviously, in elementary it was little things like “Come on don’t be a chicken, jump off the slide,” but in our teenage years, it will be more important things, like vaping or drinking. And if you do it once, you might do it more than once.

Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is basically when you do something that your friends encourage you to do, but you do it to be valued, it can be positive or negative. In other words, it’s a way for people to fit in, because sometimes we all want to fit in. Sometimes peer pressure can be as simple as just changing your style because you want to be like someone, or it can be as dangerous as participating in drugs or alcohol.

How to help someone struggling

Try not to force your friends into doing anything they don’t want to do. If you know someone is being peer pressured, help them escape that situation. Talk them out of spending time with the people who are pressuring them to do something. Help the person tell a trusted adult, go to a guidance counselor with them, and be there to support your friend. If it’s dangerous (drugs, alcohol, harm of any kind, etc.) call the police. If you’re with your friend and are being pressured, tell your friend, “I’m here for you, let’s go” and leave the space. If you know that your friend is being pressured, watch for differences in how they act, peer pressure can completely change someone, so help your friend before it’s too late.

How to help yourself if you’re struggling

You need to know what’s right, ask yourself “Is this right?” about any sort of pressure. Stay away from people who encourage bad behavior and bad habits. Get some advice from a guidance counselor or trusted adult. Getting advice from them can also help them understand how to help you depending on what sort of situation it is, like is it dangerous, do the cops need to be involved? Be there for yourself and trust yourself, if it’s not the right thing to do, don’t do it, if it’s dangerous, get help.

Works Cited

RaisingChildren.Net – Peer Pressure

FCPS – Helping someone

KidsHealth – Helping yourself