In the modern day world, the power of social influence continues to manifest itself among millennials. Considering an online Newspaper article posted form the UK Daily Mail in August 2004, teenagers admit that their indulgence into drug abuse comes about as a result of peer pressure. According to the Newspapers article, many teenagers today use drugs so that they feel cool in the eyes of their friends. Teenagers in the modern day society tend to get an understanding of themselves by the affiliations and social bonds that they create over time. In the Newspaper article, Darren Hall; a representative of the UK Social Issues research center explains that it is imperative that facts about the relationship between peer pressure and drug abuse among teenagers be gathered other that basing on hearsay while tackling the menace. This exploration seeks to unravel how the social influence principles correlate with the bone of contention raised by the Newspaper article.
The behavior of people in the society, as well as their opinion, is majorly influenced by the social influence from the environments in which they operate. There exists a close relationship between the brain and peer pressure. The postulation mentioned above is demonstrated in a case where millennials have to make choice between the risks and rewards that may be accrued as a result of their behavior, it is probable that due to peer pressure, a teen is more likely to overlook the risks involved in their actions and concentrate on the reward ( Sarangi, Acharya & Panigrahi, 2008). Research has since proven that teens are more likely to succumb to the influences of their friends as opposed to the risks involved in the actions or decisions. Peer pressure is propagated by many drug-related advertisements as well as their spheres of social influence. Among the many predisposing factors for the youth to engage in drug abuse include the ease of access in their various environments and the kind of social environment they live in ( Hunkins & Ornstein, 2016).
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The principle of scarcity is a social influence principle that is directly applicable to how the youths succumb to peer pressure when it comes to drug and substance abuse. The mind of youth gives preference to choices that are more likely to escape and never to be attained again. For the youths, when something is censored, they find it more attractive and fashionable to be part of. It is for the above reason that the millennials find it easy to choose an option that has a reward as an option to the one that has a risk ( Sarangi, Acharya & Panigrahi, 2008). Teenagers will engage in drug and substance abuse as a move to make them have a sense of belonging.
The social influence principle of social validation makes youths succumb more to peer pressure to engage in drug and substance abuse ( Hunkins & Ornstein, 2016). The principle of social validation dictates that human beings; especially the youths have a tendency to act like their fellow youths. Youths succumb to drug abuse as a result of them trying to be like other youths within their social settings. They will thus, engage in activities that make them fill like they belong to a part of a group and act just like other people do.
The principle of sympathy postulates that many people will do what many people belonging to their social circles want. In an environment where social influence principles are applicable, it will be proven that attractive people in a group setting will attract positive responses when they propose an idea ( Hayes, 2013). Such influential people are more likely to advance peer pressure to their social grouping especially if they present ideas revolving around drug and substance abuse. The physical attraction of the person calling the shots in a group setting is likely to be the main factor influencing their popularity as well as positive responses from youths towards drug abuse.
The Principle of authority, a social influence principle is very applicable to the case of how peer pressure plays a big role in drug abuse among the youth. The principle of authority dictates that the boss is always the most respectable person in the group. Youths are more likely to obey their elder peers even when it comes to pertinent decisions such as whether to indulge in drug abuse or not. The Principle of authority is more applicable in a situation where there is a difference in age, position, financial position as well as the social standing in society.
The principle of consistency is more applicable in a social influence involving members of a common group ( Hayes, 2013). The principle dictates that human beings have a tendency to maintain consistency with the actions and commitments that they had in the past. If in a social setting one has a commitment to abide by the decisions of the majority and had been upholding the commitment for a substantial period of time, they are most likely to agree to any decisions reached by the majority even if it involves drugs and substance abuse.
In conclusion, it is imperative that one contextualizes the social influence principles in all spheres of social influence to enable them not to be negatively influenced by the dictates of the principles ( Hayes, 2013). In the modern day world, as it has been proven in the above exploration, millennials succumb to the various social pressures to engage in drug and substance abuse in the many ways in which peer pressure affects youths. It has been revealed that the high prevalence of drug abuse among the youth across the globe can be attributed to peer pressure as the six principles of social influence have demonstrated above. A time has come for governments across the globe to take the issue of drug abuse among the youth as a global concern and implement an initiative that will change the social behavior and susceptance to peer pressure. It is only by adopting such measures that the menace can be successfully dealt with.
References
Hayes, N. (2013). Principles of social psychology . Psychology Press.
Hunkins, F. P., & Ornstein, A. C. (2016). Curriculum: Foundations, principles, and issues . Pearson Education.
Mailonline. (2004, August). Teenagers admit drug peer pressure. UK Daily Mail. Retrieved from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-315092/Teenagers-admit-drug-peer-pressure.html
Sarangi, L., Acharya, H. P., & Panigrahi, O. P. (2008). Substance abuse among adolescents in urban slums of Sambalpur. Indian journal of community medicine: official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine , 33 (4), 265.
