Friend-ly Weed

Before I get started on friends and Marijuana, please have a look at this video. You don't have to watch it all, but just note that names and faces are shown. Like seriously? How dumb can ya'll get. You put something like this on Youtube? Come on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX5qeJzN7yw

An Intro To Peer Pressure

So, if you haven`t realized yet, this post will be on the next agent of socialization for children; the friends! Growing up, we have our Mommy's and daddy's pick which friends we have play dates with, which friends we get close to, and our opinions of them as well. For instance, if your parents don`t like a certain kid or a family that kid is from, chances of you being able to play with them will be nill. In this beginning stage, children are still very dependant of their family, yet they start to realize the way others see them and have to shape themselves to how others want them to be. But as we grow older and more independent, we chose our own friends, we make our own decisions, and our family slowly starts to fade into the background. Our friends are now the most important people in our lives, and we want to do everything we can to keep them in there (our lives). Why? Because we don`t want to seem uncool or loser-like. And this my friends, is the basis for peer pressure. Peer pressure is defined simply as an influence from ones peer group. So, influences from your friends. What you're primary social group is doing, you are most likely to do the same. This gets tricky when you have bad influences as friends though; real, real bad.

Why Is Having Bad Friends, Bad?

Like I mentioned before, what your primary social group is doing, you're most likely to do the exact same. So if you're close circle of friends is focused on studying and doing well in school, or focused on finding boyfriends, then you will be too. This also works the same if your primary group is focused on acting cool and doing drugs. If you're best friends with someone for like, ever, and they start doing drugs and want you to try it with them; what would you say? Would you refuse your bestest friend ever? Some people (like me) would. Others however are much more susceptible to peer pressure. The truth is, you really wouldn't know until it happened. Think back to grade 9, when all of us were just getting settled into high school and experiencing changes with our friends. All of us swearing not to do drugs because they're bad for you, or because you know it's not cool. Now, think about those same friends right now. Are they the same people they used to be? Did they keep to what they said about drugs? Did you know that 1 in 3 teens in high school admit to swearing never to do drugs, then a year, even a few months later end up doing it? How many of those people do you know? And most importantly, are YOU one of those very same people? What it all comes down to really, is the kind of people you put yourself around. By this age we're mature enough to make our own decisions and to trust our gut; we know when people are trouble or if they're going to help us become better people. If you put it like I just did, it seems like a piece of cake choosing your friends. But it really isn't so simple. If you think back to the video I posted about JB smoking weed, his company claimed that it was his friend's Lil Twists' fault, and that he's a bad influence on Justin and he's leading him down the wrong path. Sometimes you want to fit in with the cool crowd; you want to be noticed, want to be liked. And how do you do that? You do what they do. It kind of all comes back around to the whole, monkey see monkey do theory doesn't it? Eventually, you get so used to smoking weed and doing all these things that make you cool that you turn in to that kind of person, and you influence the younger generation. They look up to you (the "cool" kid) and they want to be just like you. It's an endless, repetitive, stupid cycle.

Works Cited:

Reed, Mark D. , and Pamela Wilcox Rountree. "Peer pressure and adolescent substance use." Journal of Quantitative Criminology 13 (1997): n. pag. Springer Link. Web. 11 Jan. 2013.

"Why Does Peer Pressure Influence Teens To Try Drugs?." NIDA for Teens: The Science Behind Drug Abuse. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2013. <http://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/peer-pressure-influence-teens-drugs/>.