Supporting kids in the things they enjoy can help them resist outside influences.
Adolescence can be difficult. As young people emerge from childhood and move toward adulthood, they are learning to think for themselves and make their own decisions. Because they're still developing their critical thinking skills, adolescents can sometimes be influenced by others, whether by their peers or by outside influences such as advertising and marketing. However, a little support can make it easier for adolescents to stay independent.
Peer Pressure
Peer pressure is often a problem for adolescents. Although there are many benefits to a close peer group, a desire to belong can encourage teens to pick up bad habits. Succumbing to peer pressure usually occurs due to a desire for validation. Praise and reward adolescents when you see them resisting peer pressure, and make sure they know how much you value them for their independence and individuality. Be explicit about why you're congratulating them. If you need to criticize their behavior, do it compassionately and in private---don't scold.
Marketing
Marketing and peer pressure go hand-in-hand to encourage conformity. Young people are exposed to advertisements that encourage them to think that they won't be valued unless they drink the right sodas or wear the right shoes. As with peer pressure, the key here is to remind adolescents that they're valued for their individuality. The more confident they feel about their own identities, the less vulnerable they will be to attempts to make them feel incomplete without consumer products.
Discussing Outside Influences
One of the problems parents and educators face when dealing with outside influences is that adolescents are very perceptive. When adults succumb to outside pressure in the home or workplace, but try to teach their children or students not to, this comes off as hypocrisy. It's best to acknowledge this when talking to adolescents; they never respond well to being preached to, but a sympathetic perspective that treats them as equals will often be successful.
Teaching Critical Thinking
Parents and teachers can't always be there to help adolescents cope with pressure. It's important, therefore, to teach the skills that will help them make the right choices. Talk through possible situations and practice analyzing situations critically. Ask teens to explain the choices they would have made and the reasoning for them. Participating in discussions with them rather than simply making rules or giving instructions will help develop the critical skills needed for dealing with future situations.
Tags: outside influences, dealing with, help them, peer pressure, peer pressure