Week 4

The most common reason for "risky behavior" like underage smoking or drinking is the concept of "group think". I have rarely observed or heard of situations where an individual decides willingly, and on their own, to make decisions like these. I wanted to interview 3 people who have had some sort of influence in my life, so I could learn how peer pressure affected them and if they were able to learn from it. The 3 people I chose wanted to remain anonymous, but they were all students from my high school so I could compare their high school to college experiences.

"Janice" was never one to let high school parties get in the way of studying or her parents' strict rules which she had been raised to obey. Once she entered college, she wasn't used to the sudden freedom she experienced, and although she initially held back, it was not long before she woke up with her first hangover. When I asked if it was "group thinking" that caused her to give into the pressures of drinking, she admitted that academic pressure contributed to her decisions but without the comfort of her friends, she wouldn't have done it.

"Thomas" was with his friends when they were passing around a joint in high school. He wanted to be a role model to his friends, so he said no when his turn came, and took the joint away from the rest of them as well. However, curiosity got the best of him, and when he was home alone, he smoked the joint in his backyard so no one would find out. I was confused by Thomas' decision. I thought the only reason one might do something like that was if they were with friends and everyone else was doing it. In Thomas' case, the comfort or acceptance of friends wasn't required but he still wanted to know what he was missing out on.

My last interviewee, "Nisha" had an experience I was involved in as well. Nisha and I both came from traditional Indian families who discouraged their children from doing culturally acceptable activities like hookah. On a night out with our friends, Nisha and I were persuaded to go to a hookah cafe. Neither of us wanted to be the only one not doing it, so we tried it and ended up regretting the whole thing, even with the support of our friends .

The concept of "group think" teaches us that without the pressure from our friends or peers (whether it is direct or indirect), we normally would not make decisions that we regret later on in life. So when it comes to risky behavior and decisions, I believe in the power of one.