Peers, Financial & Work-Related Pressure

Integrated Reading Writing III

Introduction

Does life ever make you feel like you have simply had enough? In modern society there is so much pressure placed on us; whether it be from work, school, family, or other personal relationships- it definitely exists. Sometimes we feel so much pressure, we cannot even step back and enjoy the beauty of life that is right in front of us. Many times it seems there is a far too great amount of pressure placed on people in modern society; three pressure sources that are felt by today's population are pressure that is created by peers, pressure related to financial strain, and work-related pressure. All of these types of pressure create stress-related problems and must be effectively managed.

Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is a form of pressure that is felt by an individual in front of a group of peers to do something they know is wrong, in order to feel included. Peer-related pressure originates for a number of different reasons; popularity, to feel like they belong, or to feel included. It is unfortunate, but in modern society the actions and behaviors that make us feel "in" are more often those with a negative connotation. Even kids that know the dangers of a certain action or substance beforehand, will succumb to peer pressure. Some kids so badly want to feel included that they will do just about anything to fit in.

People commonly feel pressured by peers to take part in dangerous or unhealthy activities in order to feel like they fit in and to avoid being made fun of. For example, picture a 14 year old boy hanging around four attractive 16 year old girls outside of a local mall. One of the girls pulls a pack of cigarettes out of her handbag and offers the boy a smoke. The other 3 girls that are friends with the girl who is offering the cigarette are laughing and watching the boy’s reaction as well. Even though the boy knows in his mind that smoking cigarettes is dangerous, he takes the cigarette from the girl and nonchalantly asks for a light. The boy in this scenario succumbed to peer pressure because he did something he knew was bad for his body so that he would feel cool, or accepted by the girls.

Financial Pressure

Pressure related to financial strain occurs because member of society today want to earn enough income to give their families the best life achievable. When a person struggles to provide an adequate life for their family stressful situations can arise such as verbal disagreements with a wife or husband, disappointment, or depression. Material possessions have become increasingly important in our society today, and this adds to the pressure of making enough money to provide one’s family with the latest trendy items.For example, a 10 year old girl comes home from school crying to her dad, telling him that the kids at school made fun of her because her cell phone is so old. They called her poor and made jokes about her older model cell phone to their friends. Needless to say, this broke the girl’s fathers’ heart and he made up his mind right then and there that he would work whatever overtime necessary to have enough money to afford to buy his daughter a new phone.

Work-Related Pressure

Work-related pressure can occur when a person takes on too many job responsibilities in an attempt to impress their supervisor, and become overwhelmed with too large of a workload to successfully keep up with. Pressure at work can also come from employers who place difficult demands on their workers, or from fellow employees who cause stressful situations and “drama” in the workplace.For example, two women work in a dress shop as fellow employees. One of the women is crying and upset and is telling the staff and employer about her sick mother that she is having to bring home from NYC to take care of. This will mean she will have to cut her hours and will need someone’s help to take over her workload. The other woman, knowing she is super-busy with college, this job, her other job as a waitress, and her side business of dog-sitting; feels a sudden urge to impress her employer who is standing with them listening. She speaks up and states that she will pick up 2 of the woman’s day shifts. She then thinks to herself, I hope I haven’t taken on more than I can handle.

Conclusion

Pressure and stress surround us in nearly every avenue of our lives; whether it comes from work, school, family, or other personal relationships- it is a fact of life we must learn to effectively cope with. Each source of pressure come with its own reasons for creating stress and can lead to some severe consequences if not dealt with in a positive way. Three pressure sources that are felt by today's population are pressure that is created by peers, pressure related to financial strain, and work-related pressure. Even though these pressures exist, we must always remember not to let them take control of our lives. A positive attitude and happy outlook on life can go a long way.