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63 The Enigma of Peers Aahil Saleem Nasir M2F2 When I entered Prep School, a beginning that seemed like ages ago, I heard whispers and soft mutterings about the dreaded ‘peer pressure’ which is the harbin- ger of all evil. Or so my dear mama feverishly believes. Every morning right before the man- datory four Qul, she would deliver a few passionate remarks on the importance of avoiding peer pressure. Her speech would invariably implore us to resist the evil influence of our peers. But is peer pressure really as wicked and evil a force as my mother would have us believe? Let’s delve deeper into this. Academic Susan Smith defines peer pressure as the influence exerted by a group of companions to compelling an individual to alter his beliefs to meet the norms of the group. In 2017, according to researchers Poonam Dhull & Rajesh D. Beniwall: “Peer pressure is the direct influence on people by peers who get encouraged to follow their peers by changing their habits, values, and behavior. The ‘teenage’ is the age when peer pressure plays a vital role” (Beniwal, 2017) The reason why teenagers are particularly susceptible is because that’s the age when they first stand spending unsupervised time with friends. But peer pressure can be as beneficial as it can be disastrous. An article in an Indian Psychology journal revealed that given the right peer support, children can learn beyond their current capacity and achieve better academic outcomes. Peer pressure is the harbinger of both evil and good. In the essay White Lies by Erin Murphy, an Albino girl who is mercilessly bullied resorts to lies and deceit in order to conform to peer pressure. How does all this relate to us, you wonder? Patience, my dear, and all shall be revealed to you. As we embrace the all evasive teenage years in Prep School, we need to be cognizant of how the selection of our peers affects our performance. A sure shot way to ensure a successful Prep School career is to surround yourself with achievers. Remember Warren Buffet famously and repeatedly: “To become a millionaire, surround yourself with millionaires.”Instead, I say, to resist peer pressure surround yourself with high achieving and exemplary peers.