Blaming Peer Pressure

Merika · 02-22-2006, 09:22 AM

The kids and I were watching some teen special on tv which was focusing on that particular age group and why they smoke, drink and do drugs. Everyone of them blamed it on 'Peer Pressure'.

Personally, I find that to be a little bit of a cop out. Everyone seems to blame everyone else....instead of taking responsibility for their own choices. If it's all peer pressure and no one is guilty of being the one doing the pressuring....then where is it starting from?

I told the kids I looked at it like this: If I meet someone at work and they ask me if I want to go speed bicycling with their friends...I would have to decline because I don't 'bike'. This would probably not be the group for me to hang out with. So...if you meet someone who has a lifestyle you don't want....why be best buddies with them in the first place? If you don't pick the wrong friends ...then there is no one to pressure you into doing something you don't want to do.

darkangelism · 02-22-2006, 12:34 PM

peer pressure is an excuse, i tend to follow people under peer pressure, or rather i did when i was growing up, but its still a choice that i could make or not, i was offered drugs and i never did them and i didnt drink for awhile.

Star · 02-22-2006, 05:01 PM

I believe that "peer pressure" is used as a cop out excuse too, I agree. Kids needs to learn how to take responsibility for their own actions. If they choose to do something or get into something they know they shouldn't, they need to be responsible for that. not blame it on their friends or being pressured into doing it.

Adonaicole · 02-22-2006, 06:26 PM

I agree, kids need to learn "personal responsability". I had tons of peer pressure and never smoked or drank till I was 18 and it wasn't a good choice then but it was my choice and not because I was forced into it.

Duke · 02-23-2006, 01:58 AM

As a society, we teach our kids to not take responsibility.

A person can burn themselves on hot chocolate and sue the seller because there wasn't a label on the cup saying the hot chocolate was hot.

People can murder, rape, commit suicide, etc., and blame it on a particular movie or song lyric thus assuming no responsibility.

A small group of women can force a major retail outlet to carry abortion pills because their too irresponsible to practice safe sex.

Reality TV teaches our kids to lie, cheat, and steal, while soap operas show our kids that people have no loyalty to each other.

You see everywhere that its ok for girls to feel comfortable about their bodies yet there's no such thing as a chubby, flat chested, super model.

Still wondering where our youth gets it from?

darkangelism · 02-23-2006, 02:31 AM

thats true, i do everything i can to not take responsibility when i do something wrong.

Merika · 02-23-2006, 07:59 AM

Every now and then....you have a really great post D00K....and that was one of them.

Vautrin · 02-23-2006, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duke

As a society, we teach our kids to not take responsibility.

A person can burn themselves on hot chocolate and sue the seller because there wasn't a label on the cup saying the hot chocolate was hot.

People can murder, rape, commit suicide, etc., and blame it on a particular movie or song lyric thus assuming no responsibility.

A small group of women can force a major retail outlet to carry abortion pills because their too irresponsible to practice safe sex.

Reality TV teaches our kids to lie, cheat, and steal, while soap operas show our kids that people have no loyalty to each other.

You see everywhere that its ok for girls to feel comfortable about their bodies yet there's no such thing as a chubby, flat chested, super model.

This is a perfect summation of "Freedom", and how arbitrary / nonsensical it is at times.

Merika · 02-23-2006, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vautrin

This is a perfect summation of "Freedom", and how arbitrary / nonsensical it is at times.

I don't know if I consider it freedom....it's just a bunch of people out there who are retarded and refuse to take responsibility for their own actions. Those are the people who end up taking freedoms away from OTHER people who have good sense. They force the government to pat them on the head and protect them from their own stupidity.

Vautrin · 02-23-2006, 09:12 AM

Over here, the European Person of the year (Ayaan Hirshi Ali), called freedom of speech, the "freedom to hurt others".

So, apparently we are allowed by freedom of speech to call her all kinds of defamatory things, as she is a proponent of that. Well I wonder what will happen if people start referring ot her as a dog-<insert sexual acts of choice>. Probably then those people will be sued for inappropriate speech, by the very same person. But who is to blame? If she says she is alright with it, then she must bear the consequences herself - and not fall back on anything but the Freedom of Speech.

But of course, she will sue when that happens. It is this kind of idiocy that leads to "anything goes, but nothing is really allowed."

Fayebelle · 02-23-2006, 09:18 AM

My Mom told me that choosing peer pressure is still a choice So it can never be used as an excuse.

I'm going to teach my son the old addage "Lead, Follow, or Get Out of The Way" Everything you do is a choice and it will effect your life and at the very least how you are perceived. What type of person do you want to be seen as?

Merika · 02-23-2006, 09:22 AM

That's just it though Fayebelle....many kids who get in trouble...do so because 'at the time' it's considered cool and they want their peers to believe it to be true so they make stupid decisions.

Fayebelle · 02-23-2006, 09:31 AM

y but then they have to pay the consequences and learn that cool isn't always a good motivation

That in itself is a lesson that should be learned IMHO

Duke · 02-24-2006, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merika

Every now and then....you have a really great post D00K....and that was one of them.

Ya, every once in a while even a blind squirrel finds a nut.