That's what friends are for...The Effects of Friendship on a Child
Relationships with peers are of central importance to children throughout childhood and adolescence. Children who enjoy positive relationships with peers experience
- levels of emotional well-being
- beliefs about the self
- values for prosocial forms of behavior and social interaction that are stronger and more adaptive
- be more involved and engaged in school-related activities
- engaged in and even excel at academic tasks
- less likely to be bullied
(www.education.com).
Children without friends are often
- more lonely
- emotionally distressed
- depressed
- low self-esteem
(www.education.com)
Without experiencing close friendships, it will be difficult for children to form optimistic beliefs about the likelihood that peers can be trusted. Distrust and pessimism about peers' social inclinations may engender feelings of loneliness and social alienation (Ladd, 2003).
Birds of a feather flock together...The Role of Peer Pressure
Peer pressure has the capacity to be an extremely negative influence on a child or adolescent. Many studies have documented that children whose friends engage in negative or antisocial activities, such as smoking or using drugs, are much more likely to engage in such behaviors themselves.
Although peer pressure is most frequently used in conversation with a negative connotation, not all peer pressure is negative. Peer pressure is a necessary and important part of development. It helps to socialize children, provide a sense of identity, and can encourage positive behaviors. Peer pressure can encourage children and adolescents to strive for excellence in areas such as sports, theater, and science.
(www.education.com)
Personally...
The information on this page was, is, and will be true in my life. I remember when I was in just the 2nd grade and when peer pressure played a huge part in my life. It was when Pokémon (see figure 1 below) was all the craze. I didn't want to be left out so I spent all my allowance on buying Pokémon cards. Why? Because that's what all the cool kids were doing. Peer pressure, indeed. Somehow, buying Pokémon cards allowed me to be popular and I was happy. I had higher self-esteem, wasn't bullied, and could be deeply involved in school activities.
But there was also a time when I wasn't popular. In middle school, when everyone was gravitating towards the newest clothes, socializing, and dating, I was wearing the shabby clothes, was awkward, shy, and quiet. I spent a lot of time in middle school feeling alone. I remember having low self-esteem and feeling more anxious and depressed. I tried to fit in by swearing and playing sports after school. This strategy was neither as potent nor easy as buying Pokémon cards...and I remained my nerdy self, existing outside of the crowd.
And peers influence me even now. As an MfA fellow, I am with individuals striving towards the common goal of being a great mathematics teacher. Being with such a focused group of people spurs me on to run that race. So going from being in 2nd grade to being 22, peers have played a large role (and still do) in my development.
References
Ladd, G. W., & Troop-Gordon, W. (2003). The Role of Chronic Peer Difficulties in the Development of Children's Psychological Adjustment Problems. Child Development. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00611
Ryan, A. (n.d.). Peer Relationships | Education.com. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/peer-relationships/
edited last by Sam Liang