Glee, a show that once encouraged individualism, has succumbed to peer pressure. I will admit I am a Gleek; it’s a good show that seemed to encourage being yourself and unique, that is until Kurt transferred to Dalton. In that particular episode he embraced conformity, becoming like everyone else to fit in at his new school, completing clashing with his previous actions. He sacrificed his individuality, and this is an example of what peer pressure and media is doing to teenagers, sacrificing ourselves in order to “fit in.”
As teenagers we feel a huge need to fit in, we want people to like us, especially people our age. So in order to get people to like us, we dress like them, say we like what they like, and most importantly, act like them. However, adolescence is early adulthood, and is the time when we develop who we will as adults.
For the most part, we all want to be unique, but we also want to be liked, which is where it gets complicated. Developing into unique adults is difficult, especially when we are all trying to be similar.
There has always been peer pressure, unfortunately, and there always will be.
The problem is the media. With networks like MTV and magazines like Seventeen and Vogue, there are plenty of new players in the fight between conformity and individualism.
These forms of media mean to prey on teenagers, by getting them to buy certain brands because they are “the right kinds of clothes” and showing us famous people acting badly so we assume that we should act badly too.
Many of these magazines and shows claim they are for adults, but the fact of the matter is, they know we are there reading or watching, and they want to take advantage of us.
This conformity takes place in other forms of media, specifically shows about teenagers. After all, you can’t have a show about teenagers without addressing our main problem. However, if a show decides to be about teenagers, and by extension, conformity, it should not show characters embracing it, frankly it’s a bad message and insulting. We are fighting against the draw of conformity, and no one should make it more difficult.
