Introduction
Friendship plays a huge role in individual life, and it determines whether one is going to be influenced on risk behaviors such as use of alcohol and smoking, influence on physical activities and sedentary behaviors, academic performance and influence on healing mental and physical illness among others. In the following literature review, the focus will be on what different authors have found out, in regards to influence of friendship on
Body: Literature Review
Friendship Influence on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior
According to Marks et al (2015), intensity and type of friendship, time spent with friends and the manner of interaction determined different behaviors, many of which changed with gender. The time spent while engaging in physical activities was associated positively with having high number of friends, who are very active, and friends who interact often. The study also looked at the inverse relationship between participants and part of their friends that appeared very active. The study took a unique approach of exploring the relational aspect of when and where the friends interact, in order to gain a contextual perspective on the relationships that matter to sedentary behavior and physical activities right from late childhood. According to the two authors, active close friends also provide youths with opportunities model their behaviors and engage in physical activities. Evidently, the gender of friends is equally important in influencing adolescents towards physical activities. Notably, the study found out that, having females as friends was not correlated to females engaging in physical activities, but when it comes to males, having a significant number of male friends meant increased physical activities. Considering that physical activities and sedentary behaviors are intertwined, sedentary times among males was associated positively with having active friends.
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The study by the two authors also suggests that, differences in sex, in relationship to friendship reflects on the sedentary behavior. Although most of the participants watched television, girls were associated with non-active computer related games than their male counterparts. Furthermore, they were more likely to take part in use of Internet. The results concluded that, being friends with active individuals leads to physical activities participation, and leads to social interaction outside school environment.
Academic Performance and Friendship
Chan & Lam (2014) observes that, friendship influences on one’s academic performance. Typical students are likely to be affected by the friends they meet in school, and the peers in study groups. Possibly, most students are getting motivated by sitting close to each other in class. Results in a study conducted by Chan & Lam (2014) indicate that, having conscientious friends affects student mathematics exam score positively. In the same vein, different forms of peers affect students differently. For instance, having high quality peers enable students to perform well in literature. Notably, while study mates are useful in discussing and helping one with mathematical problems, positive friends influence a student by creating an enabling environment with positive attitude towards studying. In this study, the independent variables are the students, while the dependent variables are performance in various school subjects.
Friendship Influence Effects on Adolescent Smoking and Alcohol Use
According to Huang, Soto, Fujimoto & Valente (2014), the introduction of online social networking sites have made it easier for influences among peers to take place. Across the United States, majority of adolescents use online sites to interact, and it has become a preferred platform across various socioeconomic and racial groups. Youths frequent social sites to make friendships and the same extend to influence on various behaviors. The study used network as the dependent variable. The dependent behavioral variables in the study were student self-reported alcohol and tobacco use. The study found out that, most adolescents taking alcohol had formed habits of receiving and sending friendship from other students. Indicatively, most students who take alcohol were popular and outgoing than the nod-drinkers. Most young people who met friend online were exposed to smoking, more than alcohol use. Evidently, online platforms are the preferred environment for most youths to demonstrate smoking behaviors. In an era that has witnessed increased social sites among the adolescents; the findings of the study are a proof that, peer influence effects are likely to be transmitted through displaying risk behaviors online.
Friendship in Healing Mental and Physical Illness
According to Evans, Mallet, Bazillier & Amiel (2015), friendship acts as a healing force for mental and physical illnesses. The study established that, healthy relationships coupled with desirable environment are significant resources one can rely upon while dealing with life-threatening situations such as cancer. Besides experiencing mental health benefits, association with friends can trigger the biochemical and physical reactions to environmental stressors. According to the study, individuals who receive support from close friends remain healthier and enjoy longevity, besides displaying positive outlook amidst challenges. Adults suffering from cancer reported that, having caring friends was helpful in confronting loss and death, besides providing them with support that made them feel valued. For the cancer patients admitted in hospital wards, fellow patients also offer them with the support and friendship. They are capable of providing one with the information regarding the illness, anticipated reactions and treatments.
Conclusion
In overall, friendship has the ability of influencing one’s academic performance, use of alcohol and smoking, recovering from mental and physical illnesses, and influencing physical activity and sedentary behavior. Learners tend to score excellently, whenever they have friends who encourage them to study, and handle mathematical problems. Support from family and friends plays magic among cancer patients, while increased use of social sites ends up linking one with friends who influence one to use alcohol and engage in smoking habits.
References
Chan, T. & Lam, C. T. (2014). Type of Peers Matters: A Study of Peer Effects of Friends, Studymates and Seatmates o n Academic Performance.
Evans, R., Mallet, P., Bazillier, C. & Amiel, P. (2015). Friendship and Cancer. Reviews in Health Care 6(2): 53-65
Huang, G. C., Soto, D., Fujimoto, K., & Valente, T. W. (2014). The interplay of friendship networks and social networking sites: longitudinal analysis of selection and influence effects on adolescent smoking and alcohol use. American journal of public health , 104(8), e51-9.
Marks, J., de la Haye, K., Barnett, L.M., & Allender, S. (2015) Friendship Network Characteristics Are Associated with Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Early Adolescence. PLoS ONE 10(12): e0145344. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0145344
