Activities: activity-4
Situation 1
This is the same situation. Reread it if you need to refresh your memory before answering the question below. Letisha has a sister who is in the grade ahead of her. Letisha likes it when her sister lets her hang out with her and her friends because at their school it's considered pretty cool to be seen with kids older than you. One afternoon Letisha is at home with the older girls. There are no adults around. The older girls let Letisha hang out with them. The next thing she knows, they are all vaping. One of the girls holds a vape in front of Letisha and offers her to try it. Letisha shakes her head "no," but the girl is insistent. The other girls, including Letisha's sister, join in encouraging her to try it.
What might Letisha be feeling?
Read the situation below and those on the next few pages. Then, decide if each is an example of peer pressure or peer influence and select your answer. Next, think about how the person being pressured might feel. Finally, decide what you would do in the situation.
Situation 1
Letisha has a sister who is in the grade ahead of her. Letisha likes it when her sister lets her hang out with her and her friends because at their school it's considered pretty cool to be seen with kids older than you. One afternoon Letisha is at home with the older girls. There are no adults around. The older girls let Letisha hang out with them. The next thing she knows, they are all vaping. One of the girls holds a vape in front of Letisha and offers her to try it. Letisha shakes her head "no," but the girl is insistent. The other girls, including Letisha's sister, join in encouraging her to try it.
This situation is an example of: __________.
YOU DECIDE!
A group of your friends is smoking, vaping or using smokeless tobacco and they want you to try it with them. What would you do? Why?
You may have friends (or people you want to be your friends) who want to do something you don't want to do, but you think they might like you better if you go along with it. What sort of things might you do just because your friends want to? Decide if you agree or disagree with each statement, and then check "yes" or "no."
Think about your selections and what they tell you about how your friends influence your decisions. Then, wait to move onto the next screen until your teacher says it's okay.
Choose or type in answers to describe how you think or feel.
Think about your responses and what they tell you about the role of friends in your life. Then, wait to move on to Part 3 until your teacher says it's okay.
Think about each statement below carefully. What do you want your friends to be? Then, decide how important the statement is to you and drag it into the appropriate category.
- VERY IMPORTANT
- IMPORTANT
- SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT
- NOT VERY IMPORTANT
- NOT IMPORTANT AT ALL
- I want my friends to be considered "cool".
- I want my friends to be older than me.
- I want my friends to be as smart as I am.
- I want my friends to be able to agree about what is important and what isn't.
- I want my friends to be the same religion as me.
- I want my friends to like the same activities I like.
- I want my friends to watch the same TV shows I watch.
- I want my friends to be same age as me.
- I want my friends to have the same heritage as me.
- I want my friends to listen to the same music I listen to.
- I want my friends to be from the most popular group at school.
Think about your responses and what they tell you about how you choose and value friends. Then, check with your teacher before moving on to Part 2.
Do you sometimes do things you don't want to do because of your friends? Maybe your friends get you to do something good, like work out. Or maybe they get you to do something that's not so good, like skip class. Friends can have a lot of power—but only if you let them.
Pressure vs. Influence—What's the Difference?
If your friends coax you into doing something you don't want to do because of their words or actions, that's peer pressure.
If you convince yourself to do something because you think your friends want you to, or you think it will make you part of the group, that's peer influence. You friends don't push you—you push yourself.
With your group, write a skit that depicts peer influence or peer pressure. You may choose from one of the following general themes.
Themes
- tobacco and nicotine use
- lying
- cheating
- bullying
- gossiping
- betraying
When you write your skit, keep in mind some of the key elements of peer pressure or influence.
Key elements
- the desire to be liked by others
- the desire to be accepted by a particular group
- the desire to exhibit behavior that is similar to others'
- the embarrassment of being ridiculed for not doing something
- the pain of feeling excluded
- the need to sort out one's choices
- the need to understand the consequences of each choice
- the price we sometimes pay for making what we believe to be unpopular choices
Planning Your Skit
With your group, brainstorm ideas before you start your skit. You should prepare two endings—one in which the character gives in, and one in which the character withstands the pressure or influence.
Topic:
Characters:
Situation:
Choices:
Possible consequences:
Resolution #1 (character gives in):
Resolution #2 (character withstands pressure or influence):
Final Steps
Now, talk with your group to finalize the details of your skit. Then, act it out for the class. Have fun!