Socialization has its own pros and cons. And peer pressure falls in the cons more than the pros. Though sometimes it can do some benefit to some but that is discrete. 

When a student goes to school, he or she finds among a lot of other students, of the same class and also other classes. All are peers, as all belong to a common social setup, the school. 

Some peers are close as classmates, some are closer as friends and others can be a bit far away like the students of other classes. 

One most common feature of any social structure, small or big, is to bear a certain kind of pressure or a kind of influence. The intensity of such pressure usually depends on the majority factor of the given social structure. And this pressure can be recognized as peer pressure. 

This pressure is seldom good. A parent chooses a good school for their child in an expectation to use the peer pressure there to contribute to his or her academic developments. It works, to some extent, it often fails to significant extent.

I have seldom seen one being a scholar or a doctor or an engineer by peer pressure. But when we will talk about cigarettes and alcohol, it is usually always the peer pressure at least at the very beginning.

And exactly this is why we need to take more care on peer pressure and exactly that is why we are having this article over here. 

THere can be more than one reason of which fear of being left out is perhaps the highest. No one likes to get left out. No one likes to be alone. So there remains one option and that is to follow the peers. 

You can call this something like the Robinson Crusoe phobia or syndrome. Being a Robinson Crusoe can be anyone’s nightmare. 

Other than that sometimes we can find oppressive peerism also, which when crosses certain boundaries to be called as ragging by peers. Thus we can figure out two types of peer pressure, one is voluntary and another is involuntary. 

In some cases we choose to give up to peer pressure in order to be in the group or some other similar reasons. In other cases, it can be forced upon us by a group by exerting any kind of peer pressure. 

Thus in most cases voluntary peer pressure becomes much a bigger problem than  the involuntary ones. Most involuntary ones are comparatively easier to deal with. 

Students can get help from multiple sources like the teachers and school administration, as well as parents. There can be different levels of interventions for these kinds of peer pressure if properly detected. 

The voluntary peer pressure that a student takes almost unknowingly or subtly becomes a greater problem in the long run. 

From disturbances in studies to development of bad habits, even at times it can result in gradual disruption of the whole life and career of the concerned student. 

Why this voluntary peer pressure? As I said above, no one wants to get alone anywhere, let it be the class or school or anywhere. 

We have an inbuilt herd mentality embedded in our genetics. We are social creatures. We like to live in associations, good or bad. 

This insecurity of getting alone makes the biggest reason for voluntary peer pressure. It is not that peer pressure always has to act on the bad side only. 

It can act on the ‘good’ side also, and in this case ‘too much of good can turn to bad’. Let me explain a bit.

Suppose one average student goes to a very good school where most of the students are quite advanced in their studies. 

Once that student sits in the class, he can become over conscious of his mediocrity in studies and can feel alienated in the environment. 

A pressure can build up for him to perform beyond his capacity to belong to the herd there. And there lies the turning point, to good or to bad. 

This performance pressure, if mild, then can become a force to push the student up along the performance ladder and he will find his place in the herd. And nothing will go wrong.

But if the pressure supersedes the performance capacity or tolerance capacity of the student then things can become very wrong. Too hard push can break and too hard pull can tear. The same thing can happen to the student. 

Actually as a matter of fact, we should not acknowledge the urge of performance due to peer pressure or competition for better psychological buildup of the student. 

This can sound a bit strange as many will take the competition as the major driving force behind performance. But that is usually not the best way to think. 

Competition will be there, where there are a number of performers, in any area whatsoever. 

But if that becomes the major driving force then that can develop many serious psychological errors within the person, which will remain silent and subtle and influence his or her perspectives in every walk of life. 

And then when they may become parents then they themselves can become a major problem for their child. 

The urge of performance has to ideally come from the inspiration and motivation towards perfection in any subject, in or out of school. 

And in this perspective, what others are scoring becomes less important and whether we are perfect becomes more important. 

And the quest ends in perfection and not in competition. 

In an exam if 100 students appear and if 99 of them gets 20 percent or below and only 1 student gets 25 percent then that one student becomes the winner or achiever. 

But does that mean that he or she is anywhere near even a good performance, let us keep perfection aside. 

This is what is called competition. 

Inner urges for perfection and proficiency can lead to a much better professional and human being of the future. 

External competitiveness hardly contributes much in the qualities of proficiency as well as humanity. So it will be wise to keep away from it as far as possible and do things a little differently. 

Once we keep competitiveness at bay, immediately peer pressure for performance cools down to a happy and healthy level. 

In the same way, the urge to belong to a herd also has to have an upper cap. 

Then automatically the peer pressure arising out of these would get to minimum and will provide more space to breathe for the students for a happy and healthy future.

But the problem will remain as no one likes to stay alone and there can arise a lot of insecurity complexes out of that. 

Well I agree that it is not at all a good idea to stay alone, but if it scores above than being in the herd for some case and some reason, then what can be the option?

This can become a genuine problem for any student and also so very tough to deal with. 

Parents and some close associations can give the necessary backup so as to support the will power and conviction to stay out of compulsive herd behaviors.

As I already said, the voluntary peer pressures are harder to handle than  the involuntary ones. It may seem apparent that involuntary peer pressures are more stubborn and dangerous. 

Yes it is true that often it can be dangerous. Still handling may become a little easier once you receive some support. And usually support available when we will seek one. 

But voluntary peer pressures are more subtle and often can go undetected very specifically and precisely. One even can think that it is the way it is and we need to adjust or compromise, that being a part of life. 

Many people have a very morose or tragic definition of life. They may think that accepting the bad or negative is just a part of human life and one who denies will end up as defeated. 

But in reality there are many deniers of many situations who can make great achievements and contributions to the world. Controlling over voluntary peer pressure demands a lot of self-control and will power. There remains always the risk of alienation. 

We all are afraid of alienation. But when the choice becomes crucial then we need to choose one. Though alienation is perhaps the toughest thing for a human after things like hunger. 

There is no prescribed formula for all these problems. One needs to customize one according to the given condition, if at all possible. I won’t say it will always be possible, but what’s the problem in trying? 

There will remain some chances of success on this if we can cultivate some good habits and virtues. It is said that habits are powerful. So we need to develop good habits and virtues. 

Human mind cannot remain vacant. Either fill it with good things, else it will automatically choose to fill with whatever comes its way. And usually those are not desirable habits and virtues. 

Cultivating good habits and virtues also equip us with the willpower to stay a bit alienated or alone if necessary. Otherwise it will never be a possibility. 

Again I will say that things are needed to be customized according to the need of the day. 

Though under any condition I would not recommend total alienation. Afterall human are highly social creatures and this would not be too suitable for a healthy human psychology. 

Instead a neutral and equidistant mode of interaction can be more stress free. 

We can practice different degrees of alienation for different levels of peer pressure. Already Indian culture and speciality spirituality teaches us different degrees of alienation. 

Thus proper knowledge and practice of Indian ancient culture can provide us with enough conception as well as will power to perform these concepts in our practical life. 

Even a very little practice of meditations can provide enough will power and knowledge to make voluntary peer pressure on us almost to nil. 

Actually meditation is the one-stop solution for many problems that a student is likely to face in his or her day-to-day activities and engagements. 

From development of concentration to will power, from development of higher consciousness and wisdom, self-control and self-mastery all are not any end in the list of benefits. 

The list is infinitely extended. 

We need to remember that if improper social association and peer pressure can spoil or harm a student quite fast then loneliness can kill a person slowly. 

Though I said in support of alienation, still it is the least desired thing in a human life.

Humans are meant to live with people so it will be always advisable to find appropriate people instead of being all alone. 

Family can be helpful. Or some close friends. We should try to avoid peer pressure and the wrong environment, but not to become a Robinson Crusoe.