Hi everyone! It's Lexi here, and welcome or welcome back to The Teen Safe Zone. Today I am going to be talking about a very popular thing that is going on with teens in today's time, and that is peer pressure and feeling like you don't fit in in your age group. This is a topic that many teens, including myself, struggle with so let's talk about.
Peer Pressure:
Let's first talk about peer pressure. If you don't know what peer pressure is, it's when people around you influence you to do things you don't want to do. Let's say, for example, your friends pressure you to go to a party you don't want to go to. Of course, everyone has free will and their own thoughts and decisions, but many people tend to still do things they don't want to do because they want to fit in and look "normal" to others. This is very popular among teens, but it's for every age group too.
If you feel like you are being pressured to do something you don't want to do, then don't do it, despite what others may say about you. You have to think about it; are the things they're trying to persuade you to do good for you? Will it later on affect you in your life? The tough part about being a teen or young adult is that every decision you make now will eventually affect you, whether it be good or bad. Use this time wisely and make smart decisions.
What people fail to realize is that the people who are trying to pressure you into doing bad things aren't the people who actually care about you. People who actually care about you will not want you to do something that is wrong and can completely destroy your life. Instead, sincere people and friends will pull you aside and correct your errors. If a person doesn't do that, then you need to question your friendship or relationship with them because, at that point, they're trying to bring you down with them. You need people in your life that want to see you succeed and not end up on the wrong road.
Don't let people convince you that this is "cool" or that you need to live your teen years. Teen stereotypes aren't something to look up to. The teenage years should not be spent partying, rebelling, and so on. Instead, the teen years should actually be about preparing yourself for adulthood, planning goals in life, and becoming a more mature person. I'm not saying you shouldn't have fun; of course, you only live once, so enjoy it, but please be careful of your choices and be smart about them too! It's totally OK if you want to go to parties every once in a while (of course not in a pandemic), but make sure that you are comfortable with it, and that you surround yourself with good people, with good intentions, and a good environment. I know people can fool you. I know this because I've been there before, so be careful. If you have to throw a solo party in your bedroom just to be safe, then at least you're alive, right?
Not Fitting In:
Now, let's talk about feeling like you don't belong with others in your age group. I still struggle with this as I'm writing this. Is it just me, or do you feel like you have nothing in common with other people your age? I definitely do sometimes. If you are like me and feel the same way, I just want to let you all know that it's OK to be different and to stand outside of the box. It's OK to not be interested in social media, or anime, or any of the other things you don't enjoy that others do. Everyone has their own interests, and eventually you will find someone around your age that feels the same. I did. When I felt like I couldn't make friends because I didn't have the interests that everyone else had, there it was. I made a few friends who have so much in common with me! It's never too late to make good friends; it just takes time.
Well, I hope you all enjoyed this post as much I did writing it, and I hope you all take some notes from it as well! Make sure to subscribe to my website to get blog updates, and I will see you all soon! - Lexi
i wish more people understand that peer pressure is REAL, and i wish that more people understand how to deal with it.
You are so mature for your age (in a good way btw)