When you think of peer pressure, you likely think of your younger days. After all, high school is a time where most people feel pressure to do one thing or another; whether that be drinking, smoking, sneaking out, or so forth. Most everyone can recall one moment or another. However, we typically think that peer pressure is something that fades away with those high school memories. However, adult peer pressure is still alive and well, and you’ve likely faced it once or twice. Especially when it comes to drinking with friends…
Adult Peer Pressure: Recognizing it and Saying No
Now that you’re older, you probably have a more established sense of self. Which can make you less likely to fall into peer pressure. But a lot of time, we still feel the pressure to drink when we go out with adult friends? So why is that? In most cases, it’s because we fail in recognizing peer pressure. They may not call you names, or tell you to ‘be cool’. But maybe you say no and they still push in any number of ways.
“Come on, don’t make me drink alone”
Of course, no one ever really wants to drink alone. So, even without meaning to, your friends might pressure you into drinking as well by saying something to that effect. By making you drink as well, your friend likely feels as if they have the freedom to do so as well. If you’re having trouble making sense of whether or not you’re being pressured, consider what that friend’s motive is. Are they trying to help you? or are they trying to benefit themselves?
“If I knew I was drinking alone, I would’ve stayed in tonight”
By saying this, as well as the previous statement, your friends are trying to guilt you into making a decision that you do not want to make. While they might not be outright saying that you’re acting a certain way, or bringing the group down— their actions can have make you feel like you’re back in high school all over again.
Adult peer pressure is alive and well. Maybe it’s a bit better hidden than peer pressure in younger groups, but that doesn’t make it feel any different. If you need a means of escaping that feeling, the best thing you can do is put your foot down. If they’re your real friends, they won’t skip a beat and nothing will change. Ultimately, it’s a great way to figure out who in your life is a positive force, and who is bringing you down.
If that isn’t quite your speed, or you need to work up to that— consider being the designated driver! There’s no more perfect way to get out of drinking than to vow to get the group home safely. Ultimately, your decision to drink or not drink should be entirely your own. If you feel that your friends just won’t let that happen, then maybe they aren’t your real friends…
