Peer pressure
A French language assistant, Sylvie has been working in a Scottish school and has been researching teenage issues. She interviews a student about peer pressure.
Est-ce que tu te sens influencée par tes amis ou sous la pression des pairs ?
Listen to the student's response and try to answer the questions that follow.
Pas vraiment. J’ai de bons amis qui me comprennent et m’acceptent, donc je me sens à l’aise avec eux et que je n’ai rien à prouver. Cependant, je pense que l’influence des pairs existe parce que les jeunes ont besoin de se faire accepter par leur bande. Donc, des fois par exemple ils achètent les vêtements de marque et dépensent beaucoup trop, car ils veulent tout simplement être à la mode et ressembler à leurs amis. Mais c’est tout à fait normal. Sans doute, la pression des pairs peut être aussi négative, car certains jeunes fument ou boivent de l’alcool et d’autres pensent qu’ils doivent les copier pour avoir l’air cool.
Question
Does this person feel influenced by her peers? Why/why not?
The answer is not really. She has good friends who understand and accept her. She feels at ease with her friends and doesn’t have anything to prove.
She says pas vraiment. J’ai de bons amis qui me comprennent et m’acceptent, donc je me sens à l’aise avec eux et que je n’ai rien à prouver.
Question
How does peer pressure sometimes manifest itself among young people?
The answer is they buy branded/designer clothing. She says they spend too much trying to be fashionable and look like their friends.
She says ils achètent les vêtements de marque et dépensent beaucoup trop, car ils veulent tout simplement être à la mode et ressembler à leurs amis.
Question
What other more negative result of peer pressure is mentioned?
The answer is some young people copy their friends - they smoke or drink alcohol to be cool.
She says certains jeunes fument ou boivent de l’alcool et d’autres pensent qu’ils doivent les copier pour avoir l’air cool.
Translation
Do you feel influenced by your friends or under peer pressure?
Not really. I have good friends who understand and accept me, so I feel at ease with them and I don’t have anything to prove. However, I think that peer pressure exists because young people need to be accepted by their peer group. So, sometimes for example they buy branded clothing and spend much too much because they just want to be fashionable and be like their friends. But that’s totally normal. Without a doubt, it can also be negative, because some young people smoke or drink alcohol and others think that they have to copy them to be cool.
