BE YOURSELF!

It was at the park. We were ten kids and the hour was midnight. Everyone was smoking cigarettes. They were drunk. Imagine they were only thirteen year old teenagers. It looked like everybody was influenced by each other. I was there. But I didn't drink or smoke until my "friends" pressured me and I couldn't refuse. I wanted to make this decision on my own, but they pressured me. I couldn't make my own decision and be myself.

The situation I described is called PEER PRESSURE. Peer pressure is a common youth problem all teenagers must be immuned against. Peer pressure is when you do something either because your peers have convinced you to or because all your peers are doing it. This situation makes you do some bad or immoral things you don't usually do.

If you think that this situation isn't going to happen to you – you're wrong! You may think it is far from happening to you, but this is a common situation, happening all the time and all over the world. If we all press each other to do something which isn't suitable for us, we will probably take decisions we might regret in the far, or even near, future.

The best way to avoid peer pressure is simply being yourself! Don't be afraid to make your voice heard! If your peers try to convince you to do something you believe is immoral, all you have to do is stand for your opinions and beliefs.

This essay seems more like an advice column than an opinion essay. It's good, but you need to reorganize it and make it into an essay, without the advice in paragraphs 3 and 4. (78)

Daphna.