Why shouldn’t I do it? All of my friends do. My friends won’t like me if I don’t do it. We’re not hurting anyone. There’s no law against doing it.
     These are just a few of the things I’ve heard kids say when an adult tells them to either stop doing something or not to do it in the first place. When an adult gives a response to those statements, most kids will roll their eyes and say something like “you wouldn’t understand” or “it’s different now”. Why wouldn’t the adults around you understand? How is the world different today? Sure, there are things happening today and things that are available we couldn’t even imagine as kids; however, that doesn’t mean we don’t know anything at all about peer pressure. Even adults face pressure from their friends to do things which aren’t always good for us.
     Do all of your friends do certain things? If they do, are those things going to make you a better person or are you just doing it to fit in with the crowd? Is the thing you’re doing illegal? Some of your friends are going to tell you they do things, yet you never see them doing it. Why is that? They’re either trying to see if they can get you to do it on a dare or they’re saying they do it because it makes them look “cool” in front of the rest of the group. Parents won’t tell their kids not to do something just so kids can’t have fun or to be “control freaks”. Even if your friends do some things, your parents are looking out for your best interests. If the thing is illegal, I don’t really need to explain to you why you shouldn’t do it.
     If your friends won’t like you if you don’t do certain things, are they really your friends? Friends are people who accept you for who you are and not what they expect you to be. There are plenty of kids out there who would be your friend and accept you for who you are, even if being part of their group shuts you out of others. If you live in an area where there are few other kids, it’s better not to be part of a group if being in the group means doing things you know aren’t right or you wouldn’t do at any other time. I know how hard that can be … being an “outsider” … but you can’t allow other kids to force or pressure you into being something other than yourself.
     Even if you’re not harming the people around you, you could be hurting yourself. Putting off studying to hang out with your friends will eventually make it harder for you to get into college, a trade school, or a job. Keeping apart from other kids means you miss out on what you can learn from other people. Smoking, drinking, and drugs all hurt your body in one way or another.
     Even if there’s no written law against doing something, it doesn’t always make whatever you’re doing all right. There may be no signs saying you can’t skateboard on the basketball court, but why do it when other kids are playing a game? There may be no rules against talking loud while you walk around the mall, but why not show a little courtesy for the people around you? Just because all the “cool” kids do something, doesn’t mean you should do the same or try to take over the playground, the malls, or any other place.
     The question you need to ask yourself is “am I doing this to be part of the group or am I doing it because I want to?” If the answer is because you want to fit in, you’re doing it for the wrong reason. If you’re doing it because it’s something you want to do, make sure you’re not just saying that because it’ll make you as “cool” as the other kids. Unless what you’re about to do will really make you a better person, by everyone’s standards not just one group, don’t do it. Whether you believe it or not, you’re parents do know what’s best for you and doing as they tell you will keep you out of a lot of trouble.