1. Running head: PEER PRESSURE AND SOCIAL MEDIA 1
Peer Pressure and Social Media
Your Name
University of South California
Course and Date

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Abstract
Peer pressure is a social phenomenon applying in teenagers and youth of ages 13 to 30 in which
their behaviors, feelings and interests are influenced by people they surround themselves with. In
the current digital society, social media have been involved with peer pressure by influencing the
youth through different accounts like twitter, Facebook, Instagram and many others. This new
advancement has brought about a new concept called social media peer pressure affecting the
youth both negatively and positively. Unfortunately, studies have found out that the influence of
social media on the behaviors and personalities of teenagers are mostly negative. Social media
peer pressure has also been used as a channel for spreading hate against other youth by
influencing others through created social media groups. Studying about peer pressure and social
media is one of the best ways of understanding social psychology as a study. While studying peer
pressure and social media one can easily understand how the thoughts, behaviors and feelings of
an individual can be affected by membership or social groups. However, studies have also found
that there are ways in which the adverse negative influence of social media peer pressure on the
youths can be prevented.

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Introduction
Peer pressure among youth, teens and growing people is not something new; however, if
not dealt with accordingly, it often leaves an unfavorable effect on the affected people. Peer
pressure is a social phenomenon that applies between the ages of 13 to 30. At this stage famously
called the youth stage, the people you spend time with may have an investable impact on the
behavior defining your personality as this is considered the time when teens start to cultivate
their identity. At this stage, youth and teens develop an interest in some aspect of life, such as
hobbies, music, fashion, traveling, and other things (Heimer, 2016). Notably, the desire to fit in
and please everyone is experienced at this stage, making a significant number of teens and youth
getting lost while trying to find their personalities.
Problem Statement
Social media has paved a broader way in how it influences the youth, impacting peer
pressure negatively. In the current digital society, it has been found that teens as well as youth
spend more of their time on different social media accounts such as Twitter, Facebook,
Instagram, and Snapchat (Dishion, & Kavanaugh, 2002). The kind of influence they get from
these social media platforms may either boost their social standings or compel them to do things
they should not be doing. Studies carried out by Escardibul, Mora &Villaroya (2013) on the topic
of peer pressure and social media, and the results have indicated that most teens and youth get
encouraged to live life according to the posts, images, and statuses of friends they view from the
social media platforms. Most students interviewed during several of these studies admitted to the

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fact that social media had a more significant influence on how they conducted themselves than
peer pressure. Social media has taken over the lives of the youth, molding their personality and
behavior in society. It has also advanced the concept of peer pressure to social media pressure
which is getting hold of the society.
Purpose of study
Most teens and youth’s behaviors have been noted to be different from time to time
depending on the influence they get from people and activities around them. These changes in
behavior from time to time indicate the effects of social media and peer pressure identified in this
paper. Knowing these effects is very important while trying to understand the origin of some
behaviors, feelings and thinking in most of youths. It is also essential to study peer pressure and
social media as it helps in identifying ways in which one can deal with some of the negative
effects. The aim of this paper is to identify how social media has impacted on peer pressure
among the youths and teenagers.
Effects of Social Media on Peer Pressure
Social media involvement with peer pressure has been found to affect the youth more
both positively and negatively. However, the negativity of social media on peer pressure has been
witnessed more than the positivity, with many terming it worse than even bullying (Valkenburg
& Piotrowski, 2017). Through social media, a new term virtual pressure, a type of peer pressure
faced by the youth online, has been developed. Studies have indicated that youth and teens are
influenced, and take advantage of the power of social media to reject fellow age group members
at homes and schools and even go as far as creating social media hate groups against them.
Through the groups, they are able to influence other youth and teens to hate the same group of

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individuals by recruiting more numbers to be against them. This kind of peer pressure is found to
be the most dangerous one as it does not end after school or after a short period. Unfortunately,
these created social media hate groups affect the lives of the intended group of individuals for a
very long time, which might be as long as they get to live. Some teens and youth end up taking
their lives as they are unable to cope with the online bully and hatred from their fellow age
mates.
Another effect of social media on peer pressure is that it has compelled more youth to
adopt on the lifestyles of others at the same time increased the feeling of jealousy and inferiority
among many youth. By viewing a post, pictures and status of thousands of their mates enjoying
lives and doing things on social media, most teens and youth are left feeling inferior because
they can not afford most of the things they see which may be in the form of clothing, cars, or
expensive trips. This leaves them with the feeling of jealousy and envy over what they see,
which in most cases makes them feel compelled to share something of a similar sort to try and fit
in. Most youth as well as teens even go as far as doing unhealthy things that may be dangerous
for them just to make themselves feel pretty and wanted going by what they have witnessed from
their fellow age group members in social media. The amount of peer pressure gotten by the youth
from social media has led to poor body image by most of them, increased use of alcohol,
cigarettes, and hard drugs (Nakajima, 2007). Also, social media involvement in peer pressure has
contributed to an increased number of depressions in most youth and teenagers. In contrast, most
of them are left feeling inferior and unwanted from the rest in society.
Other than the appearance, preference, behavior, and mindset, social media’s involvement
in peer pressure has also changed the beliefs and aspirations of many youth. Peer pressure and

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social media have been found to influence the goals and aspirations of many youths significantly,
with most of them aspiring to be like most of the people they follow on their social media
platforms. They end up believing in what they see, which might not be the reality rather than
believing in the factual aspects of their lives. For example, most youth believe that taking alcohol
and throwing parties with friends is what life is all about. Some even believe that by doing this,
they would have made it in life, which is not always the truth. The aspirations to do all these
things are generally drawn from the status and post of people with the most number of followers
in social media who leave the young generation believing that they are popular due to the
activities they post doing in social media.
How to Deal With Peer Pressure and Social Media
In as much as peer pressure and social media has a lot of adverse effects on the younger
generation in the current digital society, there are a lot of ways in which these negativities can be
prevented and be used to benefit them instead (Osbome & Jones, 2011). One of the many ways is
for parents and guardians to be on the lookout for any symptoms of virtual peer pressure such as
depression, loss of appetite, social withdrawal, or rude behaviors. They are also advised to
inspect and keep track of the social activities by youth and teens using parental control. Doing
this will help parents realize when their young ones are going astray and advise them
accordingly. They will also be able to prevent exposing them from social media negativities and
only limit their access to the positive influence of social media. Monitoring by the parents is also
helpful as parents can use whatever content is provided by peer pressure and social media to
boost the confidence of the youth and encourage them to always be optimistic despite the
contradictions of life they witness in social media.

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The youth can also be taken through canceling classes that will help them identify their
characters and personalities in advance. By knowing themselves, they will be able to make
critical decisions of whom to follow on social media to reduce the harmful effect of social media.
Choosing whom to follow on social media is very important as some celebrities and celebrities
showcase their perfect bodies, perfect parties, and a life that is perfect, which might be harmful
to the youths (Dishion, & Kavanaugh, 2002). It is good to follow people who share the same
goals and views life in the same perspective as you, but that should not limit your choice of
people as you can still follow those with a different opinion from you. But it is advisable to take
a few seconds to go through their timeline and range how much they affect your life by
considering your feelings towards what you see before following them. Also, avoid following
people and celebrities known to participate in unhealthy activities.
In trying to bring out the best in peer pressure and social media, it is important to follow
people who realistic about life and the things they share in their page. This will help do away
with the feeling of inferiority and also helps in learning the basics of life. Also, share only the
positive things without badly influencing your peer group. Sharing positive things on social
media and having a complimentary view about what you view is helpful in boosting the level of
self-esteem. According to studies, most young people take advantage of the positive post and
compliments in social media to improve their social relationships and confidence (Dishion, &
Kavanaugh, 2002). Many studies have categorized the qualities of addiction of social media as
those of drug addiction, making many youth find pleasure in spending more of their time
browsing on the internet, which may negatively affect their everyday life and relations. As such,
it is essential to be aware of the negative impact social media can have on your life and

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personality and be proactive about avoiding them. For example, parents can set screen timers
when letting kids access the social media platform. Youth can also seek help whenever they feel
that social media is taken the best of their behavior and encouraging them on unhealthy habits.
Conclusion
Whether social media has taken hold of the lives of the youth in the digital society is
something that can not be said yet. But it is evident that peer pressure and social media has a
great influence on the youth and the manner they conduct themselves. Changing dress codes,
hairstyles, and even lifestyles are wholly dependent on what is trending on social media.
Unfortunately, most youth do not want to be left behind on the current trends and always stick in
social media for aspirations. Most youth also got the inspiration to pursue some goals and
hobbies right from social media, which has become a channel for making new friends and
creating bonds. However, in as much as peer pressure and social media have created a negative
impact on the lives of many youths, there are a few that are positively influenced by them. The
positive influence is drawn by choosing what to follow ad view from these platforms. Also, by
identifying one’s self and setting the right goals, one can make the right decisions when it comes
to peer pressure and social media.

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References
Dishion, T. J., & Kavanaugh, K. (2002). The adolescent transitions program: a family-centered
prevention strategy for schools.
Escardíbul, J., Mora, T., & Villarroya, A. (2013). Peer effects on youth screen media
consumption in Catalonia (Spain). Journal of Cultural Economics, 37(2), 185-201.
Retrieved May 7, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/43549839
Heimer, R. (2016). Peer Pressure: Social Interaction and the Disposition Effect. The Review of
Financial Studies, 29(11), 3177-3209. Retrieved May 7, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/
44014952

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Nakajima, R. (2007). Measuring Peer Effects on Youth Smoking Behaviour. The Review of
Economic Studies, 74(3), 897-935. Retrieved May 7, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/
4626164
Osborne, J., & Jones, B. (2011). Identification with Academics and Motivation to Achieve in
School: How the Structure of the Self Influences Academic Outcomes. Educational
Psychology Review, 23(1), 131-158. Retrieved May 7, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/
23883402
Valkenburg, P., & Piotrowski, J. (2017). SOCIAL MEDIA. In Plugged In: How Media Attract
and Affect youth (pp. 218-243). New Haven; London: Yale University Press. Retrieved
May 7, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1n2tvjd.16