Under Pressure (Mariah)

9/27/2024

As teenagers, do boys and girls experience the same level of peer pressure? Clearly, different genders are pressured in different ways and for different reasons, but is the amount of stress equivalent? Girls typically feel peer pressured in areas such as friendships, relationships, body image, clothing, academics, athletics, and countless other topics. Boys tend to feel pressured for many things as well, including sports/athletics and relationships (I am not as educated on the topics that males may feel insecure about). Studies have shown that 32% of girls experienced peer pressure about their body image, meanwhile only 19% of boys felt this way. Similarly, 24% of girls feel the need to do better in school, while only 17% of boys wanted to improve their test scores. Why is this? It certainly can't be because boys simply don't care! It seems that in our society, it is normalized for girls to voice their insecurities and converse on shared pressure situations. They can feel free to speak their mind and not feel judged because the majority of girls have experienced similar types of peer pressure. From what I have observed, boys do not typically share their insecurities and stress with other people because they do not care to come across as weak or "not a real man." Obviously, I could be very wrong about this because I do not sit in on a lot of conversations between boys, but what if this is true? Being afraid to share you feelings is another form of peer pressure. So does one gender simply hide pressure better than the other, or are the feelings just not the same? Do girls really feel more pressure than boys

27 Comments

Deanda Lamping

9/28/2024 01:18:09 pm

I think peer pressure is felt the same by both women and men. When we were all 12-14 things in our brain started changing to fit an image where acceptance is the main focus. Whether that be validation or just simply acknowledgment. The first thing that changes and sparks the question, "who's gonna notice" whether that be from the opposite sex, friends, family, etc. We all hide things we aren't proud of and we all boast things we are proud of. When sharing certain subjects things start to get a little hairy. When sharing a part of ourself we can be our own worst critic before the words even leave our mouth. Pressure defined by gender is just another way to say we are not a like, when that statement can't be more false. When we get past the idea that men have to stay strong and women have to be just homemakers we get into the more modernized version. Men can still be providers and protecters but with the thought that pressures can be helped but with the right approach. Women can still be make a home but we don't want to feel like that is our only job. We want independence but also taken care of. In the end peer pressure is just another term for we don't want to look like a fool and we can all understand that.

Mariah

9/28/2024 07:17:38 pm

This is very well said, and I absolutely agree with you! I think males and females definitely both get the same amount of peer pressure, only in different ways.

Briella Pace

9/29/2024 08:34:39 pm

What a beautiful concoction of words you have graced me with. This was very well written. I like that you went to the basics of it, the origin of why peer pressure is so prevalent. Like on a psychological level men and women are feeling the same pressure, they just show up in different formats.

Megan

9/30/2024 09:06:09 am

I agree with you, I also believe that when we grow older, our brains change the way we perceive life.

Brylee Ganske

9/29/2024 03:27:58 pm

I believe that we feel similar levels of stress, but this can vary because we all have different things happening in our life. As a boy I can say that I stress about school a little bit, but definitely more with sports or similar stuff. I also know that many guys don't like to share what stresses them out and makes them self conscious , it usually makes us feel vulnerable and weak. Which many of us have been taught to avoid this feeling. Instead we try to find other ways to cope with it more often than sharing.

Emylee Perkins

9/29/2024 06:52:08 pm

I agree with you that school can be very stressful. I also touched on the topic of how peer pressure can depend on the events occuring in individual people's lives like you did. I like your outlook that things can vary from person to person!

Kennedi

9/29/2024 06:59:20 pm

My question here is, do guys think it is weak when girls cry or express emotion? What makes emotion such a taboo topic among men? I have expressed to many I think it is sad to repress emotion and I do hope that things will change.

Emylee Perkins

9/29/2024 07:38:35 pm

These are good questions because I also wonder if boys think it's weak when girls cry. I always get super angry when people use expressions that insinuate women are weak in reference to men. Another topic to ponder about is that mother's are seen as caregivers, and often a boy with a good relationship with his mom is healed in some regions. Does everything really come back to the root of what you experienced and who you loved in your childhood?

Daniel Davidson

9/29/2024 07:56:58 pm

I agree that, depending on what is happening in our lives, we will feel vastly different amounts of pressure. I actually think that some pressure can be good- maybe to an extent the pressure to have good grades could be an example. But no pressure, if taken too far, is healthy, and some pressures are just unhealthy to begin with (emotional suppression being one).

Briella Pace

9/29/2024 08:30:07 pm

As a woman I like to hear men’s perspectives on their issues, it really helps us to understand and empathize. But it makes me incredibly sad that men just never feel supported enough to share, and that I unknowingly have probably contributed to this in one way or another and made a man feel weak. It’s something I think everyone can relate to, but it on a different level for men where it’s a constant. That’s probably true for all pressure, we all feel the same pressure it’s the levels that differ from group to group. Like we all know what body dysmorphia or depression feels like, but not everyone feels it on debilitating levels.

Nicolas Sessions

9/29/2024 10:38:22 pm

I also talked about how pressure varies depending on the person because we are not all the same.

Megan

9/30/2024 09:00:33 am

I agree with your point. It seems like society has changed us this way.

Emylee Perkins

9/29/2024 06:49:46 pm

This is kind of a touchy subject but I think it depends on the person, regardless of gender. I don't like sharing the things I'm struggling with because I personally think it's a great thing to do but the people who don't agree with me make me feel weak and self-conscious, and it makes me angry if I don't care about something as much as a boy or vice versa. Although honestly I'm in a big healing journey in my relationships with boys so my opinions on this subject may be convoluted. Some peer pressure isn't direct but it still makes you feel bad. For instance, no one is forcing you to change your music taste, but if you can't find someone else that likes the same music as you then you will want to choose other stuff over what you like more so you'll have friends. I'm sorry this is a very weird answer, but I'm just bringing to the table that there are different types of peer pressure.

Kennedi

9/29/2024 07:01:43 pm

I agree, no one can force you to change your mind about anything, so does this make it a difference of opinion or peer pressure? I also agree that relationships have peer pressure in them. What makes a relationship healthy and equal? Is it good to have peer pressure in some situations?

Daniel Davidson

9/29/2024 07:53:18 pm

I so agree that there are different types of pressure catered to different genders. Perhaps the question, is whether or not there are constructive pressures- and how to minimize those that aren’t.

Kennedi

9/29/2024 06:57:21 pm

This topic is rather tricky to talk about, mostly because I have more conversations and interactions with other females. I do think that on one hand, yes, boys do feel more peer pressured into not talking about their feelings, because it is not becoming nor masculine. Girls however seem to almost over share sometimes and back talk others while trying to make themselves appear better than others. I think on both sides peer pressure is equal, but in different regions. I also believe girls share and are more outward about their emotions and what has happened.

Mariah

9/29/2024 08:15:28 pm

I agree that girls share their emotions more and occasionally try to "one up" each other. Would this mean that a form of peer pressure for girls could be sharing your emotions? What I mean is, if everyone around me is dumping their feelings, I would feel as if I also have to share just so people know I'm paying attention and that I also have strong feelings.

Daniel Davidson

9/29/2024 07:50:43 pm

Feeling pressure is just a part of life. I think everyone has been very astute in pointing out that some types of pressure tend to be targeted towards specific genders. I do think in general females experience more targeted pressures, especially in topics such as body image, and health habits. Yes, men experience emotional pressures for sure. The worst pressures actually tend to be, not from other guys, but from some women’s man hate culture. Which is interesting. In spite of this, I really do think that quantity of pressures experienced by girls, particularly teenagers, far exceeds that which men experience.

Chanci Phillips

9/30/2024 10:08:00 am

I agree with you that females do have a lot of peer pressure surrounding their body. Although I think that everyone experiences pressure and maybe for males they feel more pressured when they are older.

Josie Larsen

9/29/2024 08:11:16 pm

I think that everyone can experience these things differently based on what is happening in thier life. I have not experienced peer pressure that much, and if I have I probably didn't realize that it was peer pressure

Briella Pace

9/29/2024 08:20:53 pm

Like everyone else I can only really speak on my own gender as that is my experience. I can say I have felt many pressures as a woman, I remember growing up being told in many ways to worship men and reject my femininity. I became a tomboy in elementary school because people made fun of me for being girly, and in middle school for a short while I hated my femininity because I was constantly told by peers and well intentioned adults that I as a girl should stop trying certain fields because girls will never be as strong, smart, or brave as boys. And I did stop trying those fields. And during high school I was hit with the peer expectations of a woman’s hotness. How my face and body looked became so important to me, once again I changed due to peer pressure. This does not describe every woman’s experience but I’m sure it describes many. And I can imagine that if I wasn’t boyish as a girl, then boys against that norm are twice as pressured. It just goes to show the detriment that peer pressure can have. I don’t think it’s about what role is harder, it’s that everyone is put into a role against their role depending on many factors - culture, age, gender, appearance, etc. and you have to fit each one just right to find that external validation and that is incredibly exhausting. The farther someone fits from their role the worse the pressure is. It’s not cut and dry it’s about the individual and all their facets, especially their culture and upbringing. When we put people’s worth in social expectations, we can’t be surprised when they go to extremes to conform, and I feel for all of you who felt a need to change anything or everything to conform♥️ you are worthy despite what people will tell you!

Brylee Ganske

10/8/2024 08:31:12 am

That's crazy that people actually told you that. I am genuinely surprised.

Nicolas Sessions

9/29/2024 10:34:55 pm

I feel that peer pressure is felt about the same for both male and female. I do feel that it is felt in different ways depending on the person specifically not really by gender necessarily; but gender can play a role in the peer pressure still because Women will understand certain things where men won't and vice versa. I feel that, at least in my own experience, that men do express their feelings on things and the pressures that affect them but we are more reserved in who we express these things with; we only really open up to our most trusted friends. In the end I think we all want to be accepted by people, who wants to be lonely? Both men and women want to be in with the people around us and to feel connected; so we hide our feelings sometimes in exchange for fellowship. We all have buckled under the pressures around us to act a certain way or say certain things. But in the end I think it is far more important to stay true to who you are and what you believe. If we allow others to tell us what is acceptable we will always fall short. If you stay true to yourself, you'll find your people who you won't feel judged by.

Chanci Phillips

9/30/2024 09:07:42 am

I agree that regardless of gender, people still want to connect and find friends.

Brylee Ganske

10/8/2024 08:29:40 am

I agree, men and women understand different things and that we are only really open up to the ones we trust the most.

Megan

9/30/2024 08:59:07 am

I think that boys and girls are both pressured and they both go through pressure of education as well as daily life. I believe that due to past history of women, they are entitled to have a good ethic and be successful. As for the guys I would say the same but not as heavily influenced as it’s taught for the women.

Chanci Phillips

9/30/2024 08:59:27 am

I think at a young age we aren’t as affected by peer pressure. As we get older we become more aware of expectations and responsibility. Peer pressure can also depend on the environment a person is in or a circumstance. Overall I think that each person has their own way of expressing themselves and it doesn’t matter what gender you are.

Under Pressure (Mariah)

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