Nichelle Rodriguez Week #10 - The Power of Social Influence
The Power of Social Influence
The phrase, “show me who your friends are and I’ll show the kind of person you are,” has been a constant in my life. From a young age it was ingrained in me to surround myself with people that were kind, hardworking, and honest as both of my parents had strongly believed that a person’s social circle was a direct reflection of themselves.
As a highschooler now, I find that this statement has held true. People within the same friend group often uphold the same values, contain fragments of the same personality, and even begin to have similar ways of self expression (i.e. clothing, hobbies, music taste, etc). In most cases, these people did not hold as many similarities before their friendship. People are subconsciously influenced, like sponges, we absorb much of what surrounds us. I can view this in my own life, as I am often told that my long-term best friend and I possess the same personality traits and the same style—something I had not even noticed happening.
The wrong people will often steer you into the wrong direction, as statistics show, with teenagers being 21% more likely to do drugs if their social circle also participates in drug use. Most teenagers today are warned of the horrors of peer pressure, but what is unspoken is the ways that one can be subconsciously influenced. The acts of others around you can seep into your mind, it is unneeded for anyone to ever verbally convince you to do something. Nonverbal peer pressure can be as persuasive as verbal peer pressure. More often than not, teens will report starting drugs after feeling out of place as the only person in their group that did not partake in drug use.
In today’s age, where most young people are given the freedom to choose their own social circles, their own paths in life, it is especially important to hold true to personal values and to surround yourself with people that reflect your values.
Hi Nichelle! First off, I remember reading only the title of your blog, and I am already hooked. I love psychology and how the human mind works and plan to take the AP course next year, and I continued to become more engaged with the content of this post after reading your blog post for this week. We are social creatures, and in situations that call for us to interact with one another we hold some amount of power and influence over others. I completely agree with your comparison between our subconsciously influenced minds and sponges and how both “absorb much of what surrounds us.” It is really important to practice awareness on who we surround ourselves with and who we choose to share our time and influence with because these decisions will impact our lives moving forward. Whether we meet a person for a second or spend time with them for the rest of our lives, the influences of other individuals can change our courses of action in the game of life. Thank you for this blog post!
ReplyDeleteWhatsup Nichelle! I hate to admit you're right...but you're right. The reason is that I try to be friends with everyone (who are all completely different) and I don't necessarily let them influence me unlike my main friend group. It's weird because even though I am very close with them, I still feel the need to be somewhat like them and live up to their standards. I think your point on being "subconsciously influenced" is spot on. Many people often deny that part, but it mirrors in many of our actions and body language. I can't tell you how many times I told my mom that I won't do something stupid because of my friends but end up doing it anyways (I dislocated my knee because of it lol!). I love how you incorporate the perfect example of a best friend. The closer you are with the people you surround yourself with, the more accustomed you are to adapt even their tiniest habits. It's mind-blowing how our brains work like that! It's very mature of you to advise others to surround themselves with people worth their time, because honestly, it's better to steer away from people who'll waste your time or convince you that your life is not worth living the way you want it to. A proper friend should be a person who supports your decisions and goals, but still correct you so you can still progress and grow as a person. Overall, what a wonderful and exciting post!
ReplyDeleteHello Nichelle,
ReplyDeleteI really like the depth of your blog and how it addresses multiple aspects of the same situation. Other than family, friends are the only people who remain as a powerful influence over the lives of people. Some may have had friends since elementary school, and others may have only made close friends over the span of one year, but when making these friendships, the one thing that people mainly look for is any type of connection, especially for a “real” friendship. Whether that connection is a passion, a personal characteristic, or anything else, that friendship is made because of the desire to surround yourself with people who understand who you are. Then comes the question, why do people surround themselves with negative influences? This is a very hard question to answer, but I feel like it can go back to what you have stated. In the majority of the cases, people do not realize they are being negatively influenced, so they go along with any negative actions as well. It takes a good influence, on the other hand, to help realize that negative influence.