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 influenc茅e 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鈥檃i de bons amis qui me comprennent et m鈥檃cceptent, donc je me sens 脿 l鈥檃ise avec eux et que je n鈥檃i rien 脿 prouver. Cependant, je pense que l鈥檌nfluence des pairs existe parce que les jeunes ont besoin de se faire accepter par leur bande. Donc, des fois par exemple ils ach猫tent les v锚tements de marque et d茅pensent beaucoup trop, car ils veulent tout simplement 锚tre 脿 la mode et ressembler 脿 leurs amis. Mais c鈥檈st tout 脿 fait normal. Sans doute, la pression des pairs peut 锚tre aussi n茅gative, car certains jeunes fument ou boivent de l鈥檃lcool et d鈥檃utres pensent qu鈥檌ls doivent les copier pour avoir l鈥檃ir 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鈥檛 have anything to prove.
She says pas vraiment. J鈥檃i de bons amis qui me comprennent et m鈥檃cceptent, donc je me sens 脿 l鈥檃ise avec eux et que je n鈥檃i rien 脿 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 ach猫tent les v锚tements de marque et d茅pensent beaucoup trop, car ils veulent tout simplement 锚tre 脿 la mode et ressembler 脿 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鈥檃lcool et d鈥檃utres pensent qu鈥檌ls doivent les copier pour avoir l鈥檃ir 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鈥檛 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鈥檚 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.