Peer pressure (or social pressure) is influence a peer group, observers, or an individual exerts that encourages others to change their attitudes, values, or behaviors to conform to those of the influencing group or individual.
Social media are computer-mediated tools that allow people or companies to create, share, or exchange information, career interests, ideas, and pictures/videos in virtual communities and networks.
Source – Wikipedia
We all are quite familiar with the word “peer pressure” and at various points in our lives, we have done something just because of the social pressure rather than our own interest. In context of the modern Indian society, most of us are forced to look to our peers from a very young age.
“Guptaji ke bete ko dekh lo, kitna padta hai. Tum bhi kabhi padh liya karo.” (Look at Mr. Gupta’s son, He studies so well. You should also study like him.)
“Apni didi ko dekh le, ghar ke kaam mein help karti hai.” (Look at your sister, she helps in doing household chores.)
“Tumahra dost kitne achchey se baat kata hai, ussey kuch sikhte kyun nahi?” (Your friend is so well mannered. Why don’t you learn something from him?)
As we move to our teens, the rote learning methods of our education system provide no help whatsoever to develop our self-identity. Now we start looking to our peers on our own in order to choose a path for ourselves. Our choice of higher education, colleges, career etc. is all influenced by our peer group. Our potential to question, discover or explore is nipped in the bud and laid to rest.
With the advent of social media, our peer group has exploded. We see and post a running commentary of us - meeting people, visiting places, buying products, trying out new restaurants, sharing life experiences, sharing feelings and what not on a daily basis. We see what our “friends” are doing in their lives and are often forced to compare ourselves with them. We ask questions online and “choose” to believe that the most voted answer is the correct one. We see posts like “n cool things to do before this age” and plan out for them. We have so much information on our hands with little idea about how to process it. We just want the people to like and accept us (Normative Social Influence) and at times all our thoughts and actions become aligned to achieve this sole purpose.
I have got nothing against peer pressure or Social Media. Both have existed (in different forms) since times immemorial and have helped people to achieve wonderful things. But, in present times, their influence is multiplying day by day. People (with vested interests) have converted Social Media into a powerful tool for marketing and propaganda. Our online habits are being monitored closely. Things are being "suggested" (to us) based on our browsing history. Everyone is trying to push something on to us. In such a scenario, it remains solely up to us, whether we let such things influence us and to what extent.
We just have to ask one question to ourselves – “Why we are doing what we are doing?”