Peer pressure is real and it doesn’t matter whether you’re a teenager or a full-grow (wo)man, if you don’t have certain principles in life to guide you by, you will fall victim to peer pressure over and over again.
It is, however, rampant for teenagers to be constantly under the weight of peer pressure and so it may be a bit puzzling when you hear that adults can be under peer pressure as well. Just as malaria still kills people in this day and age if something is not done to prevent the Anopheles mosquitoes from biting, peer pressure can go on to cripple an adult’s decision and dictate their lifestyle if discipline is not enforced.
Let’s make this simpler: take a look at Iya Bidemi. She goes to different functions every Saturday in different states. This Saturday, she is in Ibadan, the next Saturday, she is in Ijebu, or Sagam or Abeokuta and on and on like that. The parties vary from wedding ceremonies to housewarmings to burials etc.
These parties come with their demands: matching asoebis, handbags and shoes, new jewellery, and a new set of underwear.
Iya Bidemi attends all these events because she belongs to a circle of women who judge each other’s worth by how much expensive things you wear. So, in order to be seen as a woman of high status, Iya Bidemi is willing to do anything including using her children’s school fees to buy expensive material items just to keep up with her perceived status.
Baba Bidemi is not left out. He belongs to an inner circle of affluent people as well who judge you not only by your clothes and shoes but by how many bottles of big stout you can order for everyone. Baba Bidemi is willing to keep his public image even to the detriment of leaving his family hungry.
Peer pressure is very much real on social media, amongst ordinary netizens and celebrities alike. It is why when you get into an argument on social media, one of the very first attacks is how much you have in your bank account.
The money life is good and there is nothing wrong with aspiring to live comfortably well, dress well, and own plenty of luxurious items. But our aspiration should not come from a place of greed where we now abandon reason as we are looking for how to get this mula at all costs.
There is wealth that comes from legit hard work and there’s wealth that comes by reason of greed. So, no matter what/who you admire, don’t go overboard trying to keep up with an image that costs you and leaves you in debt.
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