peer influence

Peer Pressure Isn't What You Think It Is

When most people hear “peer pressure,” they picture a scene from an after-school special: a group of cool kids explicitly pressuring someone to smoke, drink, or do something dangerous. “Come on, everyone’s doing it!”

Are Online Friendships 'Real' Friendships?

I often hear adults dismiss teenagers’ online friendships as somehow less valid than “real” friendships. This always strikes me as both wrong and a bit ironic—many of those same adults met their partners online.

Group Identity in the Digital Age: Tribalism Isn't Going Away

Humans are tribal creatures. We’ve always organized into groups, defined ourselves by group membership, and sometimes viewed out-groups with suspicion. The internet didn’t create this tendency—it amplified it.