Peer pressure hits an all-time high in the virtual world

Do you find yourself checking your online post to see how many views or likes it has got since you put it up? Now, do you compare the number of views and likes on your friends or acquaintances posts often? Online presence is, indeed, turning out to be the mark of an individual lately. So much so that keeping a track on the number of followers, comments, likes, shares and views are taking up so much of one’s time.This pattern is common among youngsters, who now believe that if they are not in on trends online, they might just be considered outcasts among their peers.
While we have more than our share of issues related to peer pressure in real life, the fact that it has reached an all-time high in the virtual world, is a serious concern. Dr Kartik Kashyap, consultant psychiatrist, explains, “Online peer pressure comes into picture when any individual attempts to keep up with his or her peer group through how they portray themselves online. You start with keeping a track of new terms or apps that your friends online use, and the use them too, just to fit in and stay ‘cool’. You fear that if you do not stay ‘in’ on trends, you might seem outdated or uncool. You tend to march along with group dynamics without even realising that you are doing so.”
“A recent case involved a 13 year old boy, who used his parents credit card details without their knowledge, to shop online for himself and his friends. He spent around `1.5 lakh by the time his parents figured out what was happening. The boy did so only to be able to fit in the gang he was hanging out with,” reveals Dr Karthik.
Twenty-six year old blogger and social media influencer, Priyanjana Roy, says, “The first thing that people do when they wake up these days, is to scroll through their social media pages and feeds. This way, they are starting their day on a comparative note. People tend to portray a completely different picture of their lives online. They look fabulous and they are doing fun and enviable things all the time. While it is rather unrealistic, one’s mood and how the rest of the day shapes up depends on what one discovers on their social media feed online in the morning. Personally, I feel it affects an individual’s personal life. We tend to get obsessed about irrelevant things and we are overly critical about everything that should ideally not concern us.
Social media influencer and blogger Jyoti Varne, 32, adds, “Social media creates a whole lot of people plagued with an inferiority complex. There are so many cases of depression among youngsters today, who are depending on therapists who are helping them battle with these unrealistic expectations that exist in their own minds.”
In addition to aiding social media addiction, the situation warrants many other issues with younger children trying to ape their seniors. Says Dr Karthik, “Younger children lack the maturity and responsibility that one requires for ensuring a safe online presence. They tend to lie about their age in order to be able to create online accounts, and may be prone to chat with strangers and even share personal information which could land them in trouble. You could probably keep an eye on real world relationships, but it is difficult to keep track of what is happening in the virtual world.”
How to deal with online peer pressure
- Share complex situations with a real friend
- Peer pressure needs to be dealt with maturity. Hence, open up and speak about it
- Prioritise a daily/weekly digital detox
- Giving in to peer pressure is not cool, learn to say a 'no'
- Avoid participating in stressful situations, which might have consequences
- Giving in to all the trends online is not compulsory
- Seek support when in need
- Parents need to share a friendly relationship with their children to be able to address such issues