Self-esteem in adolescence is believed to be closely tied to teens' levels of family support and social acceptance by peers. Physical appearance can be very important to some teens, and can lead to low self-esteem in teens who perceive themselves as physically undesirable or less attractive than their peers.
Teenagers are influenced by their peers because they are drawn to the immediate rewards of a potential choice and are less attentive to the possible risks. Second, teenagers in general are still learning to control their impulses, to think ahead, and to resist pressure from others. These skills develop gradually, as a teen's ability to control his or her behavior gets better throughout adolescence.
Peer pressure can cause teens to do things they are not comfortable doing. It can even lead them to adopt a certain kind of lifestyle, even if they don't really want to. They may not like partying every weekend, they may not be smoking. But peer pressure is powerful. Peer pressure can lead to loss of individuality. Extreme peer pressure may lead you to follow what your peers feel right.
Constructing an identity in today’s media-saturated world is not an easy task. With the multiple examples of identity found in the mass media it is clear that some people may have difficulty distinguishing between sorts. Society also adds pressure to young children when constructing their identities as there are certain expectations presented by society that individuals have to live up to, as to what is an acceptable identity to maintain and what is unacceptable.
References
Bukatko, D. (2008) Child & Adolescent Development. (Eds) Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning
BROWN, J CR DYKERS, JR STEELE & AB WHITE. (1994). ‘Teenage Room Culture: Where Media and Identities Intersect’,
