There's an Anti-Virus for Digital Peer Pressure Virus?

You can easily qualify for the most fantastic byproduct of nature if you haven’t heard about “digital peer pressure” as yet. One cannot help but admire you for being such a unique creature. You’re in the loop if you have heard something about it. Since this is a very pressing issue connected with the reign of wireless connectivity, we humbly present before you a brief tutorial about digital peer pressure to keep you in the loop.

Wireless Peer Pressure

Digital peer pressure is the pressure applied by a peer group on kid via digital technology, including computers and mobile phones. This kind of pressure can have a serious impact on the life of teenagers.

In its 17th annual back-to-school survey, the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University found out that social media is playing an instrumental role in teens deciding to use drugs and alcohol. This, my friends, is called falling under the spell of digital peer pressure.

Per findings of the researchers:
  • 75 percent of teenagers were encouraged to use drugs and spirits after viewing online pictures of peers partying hard.
  • 45 percent teens have seen such pictures online, while 47 percent believed that the kids in the pictures seemed like having fun.
  • Teens exposed to partying images were four times more likely to have used marijuana, more than three times likely to have used alcohol, and almost three times more likely to have used tobacco products.
Social Media Benefits for Teens

Different types of peer pressure are discussed during ongoing debates on digital peer pressure and cyber-bullying. Yet there are many advantages accompanying the hyper-connected culture of teens.

  • Teenagers keep in touch with their extended families and friends via social media.
  • Social networks help teens gain confidence and shun depression.
  • Teens are provided with the opportunity to make online friends from around the globe and become a part of the global community.
The Crooked Nature of Online Peer Pressure
  • Digital peer pressure can sometimes take the form of cyber-bullying if a targeted peer is being pressurized too much.
  • Social networking can become an addiction for kids who might not know how to escape peer pressure by disconnecting from the main server.
  • Too much time online can hinder the emotional development and real world social skills of kids. Add to that constant peer pressure and you would have the perfect recipe for disaster.
Disaster Prevention

Common sense might not be the most common attributes of humanity but it still plays an important part in keeping teens away from trouble. Here’s what parents can do to prevent their kids from succumbing to peer pressure.

  • Befriend your kids on the social networking sites that they use and keep your eyes open for the slightest hints of digital peer pressure in seemingly harmless online communication.
  • Setting screen time on the computer might not be taken well by your kids but they would thank you later for providing them with an opportunity to escape peer pressure for a while and recollect their thoughts.
  • Inspire your teens to take up physical outdoor activities to keep them mentally and emotional healthy. It would also allow them to fight off peer pressure (both offline and online) in a tactful way.

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