Why peer pressure is so effective on social media
By Elliot Chan, Opinions Editor
I, like so many people on social media, am a victim of peer pressure. Earlier this summer, the Ice Bucket Challenge to promote awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) seemed to be another Internet fad that would make an insignificant mark like the No Make-Up Challenge, Neknomination, and Harlem Shake. But thatâs obviously not the case. The campaign has been instrumental in earning the ALS Association donations it wouldnât have gotten otherwise. Although some criticism has emerged suggesting the divergence of focus from disease to entertainment, and the ultimate water-wasting effect of the campaign is nothing to be proud of, I want to focus on the successful qualities: what peer pressure can do for us in the future.
The nomination-aspect of the Ice Bucket Challenge is most interesting. For some, being nominated may seem like an insulting gesture, a call-out. For others, itâs an invitation to participate. Initially, I watched the campaign from the perimeter, content. Iâm not the most charitable individual, and if there was a cause for me to contribute to, ALS would not be the firstâadmit it, it probably wouldnât be your first either. However, after I was nominated by a hockey teammate, it was no longer about the donationâeven though it shouldâve been. The point now was to continue the chain-letter effect, an idea gone viral.
Now I could have ignored the nomination, and I greatly considered it, as Iâm sure many participants have. I hated the idea of someone pressuring me into an act in order to retain my ârespectâ within the community. Sure, some people might praise me for standing up against such peer pressure. After all, Iâm not a conformist, am I?
Then I reconsidered. This social challenge isnât a test of character. An ice bucket is not, say, bungee jumping. Especially during the hot summer we had, the icy water could actually be refreshing, no?
The Ice Bucket Challenge, like most social network challenges, is a demonstration of creativity. Letâs see how you can make pouring water on your head original. That was the real challenge, as lame and cheesy as they all end up being.
Seeing most of my Facebook friends and various celebrities participate is proof that thereâs something about peer pressure that makes the Internet kind of scary. We could say, âNo, the Internet canât make us do stuffâitâs just a machine,â but when I consciously poured water on my own head and filmed it to prove to my friends and followers that I am just another brick in the wall, I knew that in the very near future I would be doing other irrational acts and filming it too. Why? Well, just so that I can continue belonging in the community and network I have worked so hard to include myself in.
This year it was the ALS Ice Bucket Challengeâitâs unlikely to repeat itself next year; however, that paves the way for the next fad. The Burn Your Shoe Challenge for Legionnairesâ disease. The Parallel Park Your Car Challenge for Parkinsonâs. The Mortgage Your House Challenge for MS. And Big Brother will see it all happen on YouTube. Luckily for us Iâm no George Orwell, but I will try to grow a moustache this November. I mean, if everyone else is doing it, right?
