High school is the time and place where kids start to break away from their parents’ rule and influence and shift to the influence of their friends. It’s your first taste of freedom and a chance to create your own identity, one largely influenced by whom you hang out with. Teens take greater account for their friends’ opinions because we feel like we can better relate to people our age than our parents.
Between school, the weekends and after school activities, our friends are the people who we are around the most, therefore the people who have the biggest influence on our opinions, styles, attitude and behavior. Their activities tend to rub off on us the more time we spend with them.
It is also likely that you will perform more risky or stupid behaviors when your friends are around. For example, I tend to drive a little faster than normal when my friends are in the car. I’m not completely sure what compels me to do this, but I do notice a significant change in my actions if I’m with my friends. According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm, researchers found that the teens that drive with multiple passengers considered themselves thrill seekers and shared similar characteristics that would increase the likelihood of a car accident (autoguide.com).
It’s not just a case of over-confident kids showing off either; there’s a neurological reason behind it. The brain functions in two different ways, causing different behaviors in teens. According to Dr. B. J. Casey from the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, teens are very quick and accurate in making judgments and decisions on their own and in situations where they have time to think. When teens have to make on the spot decisions, they are often influenced by external factors like peers (heads up.scholastic.com).
Teens are largely influenced by their peers and make decisions based on how others will perceive them or judge them.
–By Jessica Clayton