· Being a member of a peer group is the primary goal of most adolescents during adolescence. The feeling of belonging and social acceptance are very strong at this stage of development. That's why peer influence plays an important role in guiding adolescents' experiences and interests. When adolescents are searching for their identity and the concepts by which they want to define themselves, social influences and peer interaction play an important role in this process. These two factors can help transform the adolescent into what he wants to be or what he fears being. Social influence and pressure can lead to behaviors such as substance abuse, risk-taking, and promiscuous sexual activity. Behaviors like these can prove harmful to the adolescent's health. On the contrary, there is also positive peer pressure, which promotes the adolescent's development. For example, a teen may influence other teens to engage in community service activities, help others, or join a school sports or academic team. · It is interesting to discover that several factors contribute to this phenomenon: o Fear of isolation o Inadequacy o Shame and ridicule o Instinctive need to bond · When adaptation and being popular are considered on a universal scale, taking into account multiple ethnicities and male and female gender type, shame and ridicule and their effects play an equal role in the lives of adolescents. No teenager wants to face the negative effects of these factors. So avoiding such suffering at all costs becomes the main reason. · To clarify the question, why peer pressure works so well among teenagers, let's lay out the points: o Teenagers are trying to understand their place in their school or group o Acceptance satisfies a need to belongo Life becomes easier when we behave like others, then teenagers really care about what their peers and friends think · However, peer pressure has both positive and negative connotations. Peer pressure can breed both good and bad habits. Additionally, peer pressure can help you gain the strength you need to avoid health risks. · There are ways to avoid the negative effects of peer pressure and uncomfortable situations. · When your values ​​are compromised you may be forced to do what everyone else is doing. However, you can fight peer pressure and maintain your self-respect. You can: · Make decisions about your life · Say no to the demands of others · Respond to people who criticize or belittle you · Be different from others · Groups that leave others out and make members conform don't make anyone feel good about them himself or herself.