Final answer:
The influence of peers during adolescence significantly contributes to a teenager’s psychosocial development, ethical values, and identity. Peer groups can have both positive and negative effects on behavior, such as a teenager starting to smoke due to peer pressure. The rise of social media has expanded peer influence beyond local communities to global networks.
Step-by-step explanation:
The influence of peers plays a significant role in a person’s development during the teenage years, affecting various aspects of their lives, including their psychosocial development, moral and ethical values, and identity formation.
During adolescence, teenagers tend to spend a considerable amount of time with their peers, thereby allowing peer groups to become a primary agent of socialization. This can lead to teens developing a stronger sense of personal identity separate from their parents and seeking approval and acceptance from their peers.
Peer influence can manifest in various ways, from the subtle adoption of slang and fashion to more significant behavioral changes.
For instance, a teenager might start listening to a particular genre of music or engage in sports activities because these are valued or popular within their peer group. These influences can shape their self-esteem and body image, and in some cases, may encourage either positive behaviors, such as academic achievement, or negative behaviors, such as risk-taking or defiance of authority.
An example of the impact of peer influence is a teenager who starts smoking or experimenting with alcohol if their friends are doing the same. This kind of peer pressure can have immediate and long-term effects on health, academic performance, and social relationships. The need to conform and feel accepted can be powerful, occasionally leading teens to act against their better judgment or family values.
As the internet and social media become increasingly prevalent in youths' lives, peers can be found not just locally but globally, expanding the influence they have on each other. This can lead to 'echo chambers' which can reinforce existing beliefs and make individuals more resistant to differing viewpoints.