Teen Conformity

"You have to be yourself. Be very honest about who and what you are. And if people still like you, that's fine. If they don't, that's their problem".

-Sting

Conformity Developes Individuality

"It is not uncommon in their quest for identity and independence for teens to reject some of the values of their parents, their church, and society. And to a degree this is not unhealthy," Rick Rood explains. He believes teens experience a change from childhood to adulthood. In the time frame of change, teens are more likely to ask themselves, "Who am I? or What do I believe?"

Teen conformity, peer pressure, or rebellion, whatever the given name, we as teens, experience it. We begin to challenge our traditional ways and begin to develope our "own convictions about life," as Rood said. "Minor areas such as dress, appearance, music, or the way they keep their room," teens begin to find their identities.

During the quest to find identities and individuality, teens experience changes physically, mentally, as well as socially. Many will consider the act of conformity or, so-called rebellion a negative experience. Others will favor the need to be accepted. And many will tell stories of how conformity has developed them as a person today. Each person, or each teen, has a story of their own, an experience of their own, whether that be positive or negative, has developed or will develop individuality.

A Conformist vs. A Non-Conformist

A non-conformist teen stated, "There's room for everybody on the planet to be creative and conscious if you are your own person. If you're trying to be like someboday else, then there isn't." A believer of individuality and non-conformity, this teen seems to live a happy life. She believes to survive in this world, one must have an identity and to love themselves.

A conformist teen believes, "teens want to belong and it is hard to belong if you are always going agaisnt the grain." He also believes teens are more likely to confor based on "te actions of the peer group."

Conformity vs. non-conformity has always recieved mixed opinions. Some believe you must embrace your flaws and live your own life, while others believe teens should follow the crowd instead of succumbing to peer pressures. But, everyone must realize that every teen, every person, has their own story, and it is their job to write it.

Everyone Has Their Own Story

video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mxaZED3erE

The movie may have taken place over twenty years ago, but teen issues in 1985 are the same as 2010. The Breakfast Club represents many themes of a teenager's life, including conformity. Each character is a different individual, a different stereotype, who have conformed, who refuse to conform, or who want to conform. The movie also makes a statement to teenagers experiencing similar situations. This lesson is to accept others for who they are and most importantly, to be yourself.

The Breakfast Club is coming-of-age movie with each character growing up from adolescence. There's a jock and a princess who've conformed to be popular, a nerd who wants to conform to fit in, and the two outsiders--a freak and a criminal--who only want to be accepted. Each has experienced the results from it. They have lost friends, gained friends, been peer pressured, pressured others, some even suffered from depression and the use of drugs. Conformity has affected their individuality. It has taught them to accept others and also to discover themselves. Tht have each learned their true identity.

The Two Roads

The Two Roads
There was a path
Deep in the woods.
Once it forked--
The bad, the good.
I chose to take
The left-handed path,
I did not know
I had no map.
Now this road that I travel
Is dirty and battered.
It’s littered with dreams
That are broken and tattered.
Paved with wrongdoings
And dotted with hearts,
That were taken from people
And just torn apart.
Pain and regret
Are common here.
Wherever you turn,
They’re always near.
I want to cross
To the other path,
And leave behind
This painful wrath.
I thought I was forever
Doomed to walk.
And all the gates
Were tightly locked.
But as I continued,
A footbridge I could see.
A Bridge of Hope
Called out to me.
Slowly I crossed
To the path of good.
Finally I was on the path
Of which I though I
Should.
Now hidden deep
Within the woods.
The one that forked;
Paths bad and good.
I once was wrong,
But now I’m right.
And before me
Glows a guiding light.
Altered by
A little step.
So close to falling
In darkened depths.
But I was finally
Pulled to hope.
I found that footbridge,
And learned to cope.
My simple mistake
Following the crowd.
Ignoring the heart
That speaks so loud.
The choices you make
Can change your life.
One will bring happiness,
The other brings strife.
Following the crowd,
Won’t lead you to right.
If you follow your heart,
You’ll be guided by light.
There was a path,
Deep in the woods.
Once it forked--
The bad, the good.
Heed my warning,
Because I know.
Follow your heart--
You know where to go.
Whitney Welch

In Whitney's opinion, a person has two paths in life that are either happiness or striteful. In that lifetime, one must choose their path and take that journey. Whitney had chosen the wrong path, leading her on a jounrey of "wrongdoings".

Conformity can be compared to a journey. It is a journey that everyone must travel down in order to find their true selves. It may be filled with failure, confusion or heartbreak, but you must go through the bad to get to the good.

Whitney had chosen a path of conformity. This path had led her to experience "pain and regret". She has also discovered herself and "happiness". Whitney believes a person must follow their heart and mind. She also states, "it's the choices you make that can change your life," meaning take her advice and follow your heart to discover your individuality.

Peer Involvement

"Two samples, consisting of a total of 1,027 6th–12th graders from separate communities, were given measures of peer conformity dispositions (willingness to accede to peer pressure), perceptions of peer pressure, and self-reported frequency of behavior concerning 2 major aspects of teenage life: peer involvement (degree of socializing with friends) and misconduct (drug/alcohol use, sexual intercourse, and minor delinquent behavior)".

The results of this quest indicate that "perceived peer pressure and conformity disposition accounted for more of the variance in self-reported misconduct than in self-reported peer involvement". In other words, the ammount of teens who participated in misconduct was greater than the ammount who participated in peer involvement. Also, teens admitted to peer pressures increasing their use of drugs/alcohol, participation in sexual intercourse, and overall adolescent behavior. The presence of peer pressure in a high school, relates to, as well as, increases the chance of teen conformity.

"People say that your dreams are the only things that save you

Come on baby in our dreams, we can live our misbehavior.

Everytime you close your eyes (lies, lies)"

Conformity, in one way or another, is similar to lying to youself. As a way for teens to escape this, they dream. Although, dreaming sometimes can't save you. When a teen doesn't face the facts of conformity, they are lying. They are lying to everyone, effecting emotions, relationships, as well as their futures. Hiding those "misbehaviors" or even "peculiar personas" doesn't solve any problem toward self-discovery. Teens must embrace the truth and their individuality, for everything else to fall into place.

Full song at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-8nQw-oV5o

A Personal Story

I remember my middle schools days and freshman year experiences so clearly. The “cool thing’’ was to wear skater shoes, Hollister, dark eye liner, and your hair stick straight. My Friday nights consisted of going to that season’s sports event and cheer on the players. I did everything in my power to fit in, whether that be how I dress, how I acted, or what I did. I experienced conformity.
I hadn’t found myself yet, so I went with the norm. I barely had friends, or personal goals in life, or even who I wanted to be. I followed the crowd, acted and appeared like every other teenager.

Q: Being in high school yourself, do you think its easier to conform in order to fit in?
A: Yes, Everyone feels the need to be accepted. Some of them think that in order to do that they cant be their true selves because others will judge them. So, they put on a fake personality to protect themselves from others’ judgments.

I believe teen conformity can be over-looked or even forgotten. I do believe it is a teen issue that happens around us everyday. It may not be visible, but it is common. I am almost positive that everybody in their life time experiences it. In the above Q&A, I asked a close friend how they felt about teen conformity. In her responses she seemed to repeat herself about how many teens feel judged or misunderstood. The act of conformity can affect an individuals’ relationships, experiences, as well as behavior. My friend has also struggled with conformity. A few years ago, she had no friends. Her solution was to be something that she’s not. She acted, talked, appeared like the rest. Teen conformity affected her own self and her ability to discover who she really is. She had realized if someone doesn’t accept you for you, then they aren’t worth it. She had defeated her conformist ways. Now, she considers me one of her best friends, she has many more too. She knows what she wants to be in the future, where she wants to go, and what she wants to do. She has become an individual.
I believe I’m one of the luckier ones. Yes, I did the whole conformity thing, but I’m not one of them now. I have discovered my individuality. I know who I am as a person. I have goals in life. I have an amazing group of best friends who accept me for who I am. I no longer follow the crowd. I may blend in, but I do walk to the beat of my own drummer.
Experiencing conformity has affected me positively. It allowed me to accept my self and others for who they are. I no longer have to pretend to be something I’m not and can be my own person. I can be an individual.

Teen Conformity Research Sources

Print:
Canfield, Jack, Mark Victor. Hansen, and Kimberly Kirberger. Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul III: More Stories of Life, Love, and Learning. Vol. 3. Deerfield Beach, Fla.: Health Communications, 2000. Print.

Web:
"Teen Life Q&A Special: FAQ on Peer Pressure The Most Frequently Asked Questions Teens Have about the Peer Pressure." Teen Advice - Advice and Community For Teens. Web. 24 May 2010. http://teenadvice.about.com/library/weekly/aa102902c.htm.

Penguin35. "Teen Individuality Teen Essay on What Matters Teen Ink." Teen Ink A Teen Literary Magazine and Website. Web. 24 May 2010. http://www.teenink.com/hot_topics/what_matters/article/89301/teen-individuality/.

Audio:
Butler, Win. Funeral. Arcade Fire. Merge Records, 2004. CD.

Visual:
The Breakfast Club (1985). Dir. John Hughs. Perf. Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall and Ally Sheedy. The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 24 May 2010. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088847/.

Digital:
Rood, Rick. "When Your Teen Rejects Your Values." Leadership University. Web. 25 May 2010. http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/teenrebl.html.

Authentic:
Brown, Bradford B., Donna R. Clasen, and Sue A. Eicher. "Perceptions of Peer Pressure, Peer Conformity Dispositions, and Self-reported Behavior among Adolescents." APA PsycNET. 2010. Web. 09 June 2010. .