Peer pressure. We heard all about it in grade school, when our teachers droned on about the perils of drugs and alcohol right before we went on to middle school. We heard about it when our high school health teachers were giving us “effective” strategies on how to resist and react to it. I’m willing to bet somewhere around 95% (if not 100%) of the students in this class have been asked to participate in underage drinking with their friends. I’m also willing to bet a smaller, yet substantial percentage have been asked to participate in the use of illicit drugs. Being asked once isn’t much of an issue for those attempting to resist the pressure, but being asked multiple times or, indeed, being in an environment where one is surrounded by uninhibited illegal activity takes a serious toll on one’s self-control.
Research from the University of Iowa (found here) has found that the part of the brain that lets you know that what you’re doing can have negative consequences, the anterior cingulate cortex, is able to alert you to those negative consequences constantly and without limit. However, the part of the brain that actually manages your self control, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex has a finite supply of chemicals that allow you to keep your actions in check. This means that your self-control can and will run out if you are constantly exposed to a situation that requires it.
What does this mean? While many college students are eager to jump into the party scene from the start, many aren’t, and many are hesitant to start drinking. We all have that friend who just doesn’t want to drink (hint: I’m that friend), and everyone who is that friend knows how hard it can get to listen to your anterior cingulate cortex. This means that, while someone can be fully aware that they’re breaking a standard they’ve set for themselves, it is completely possible for someone to give into peer pressure and drink before it’s legal simply because everyone else is doing it. Yes. That’s a valid excuse.
What else does this mean? The video I have linked above talks about this concept in the context of free-to-play video games. How many times have you been tempted to buy those extra five moves in Candy Crush Saga to finally beat that level you’ve been stuck on for a week? When constantly exposed to the option to buy your way out of a hard situation in a game, your brain becomes tired and more likely to do so. Yes, these games are exploiting your brain in order to take your money. It’s damn good business.
Just like any tired muscle, however, your self-control can come back. Simply remove yourself from the situation that is exerting the pressure and your brain’s supply of the chemicals needed to exert self-control will come back. And then you can try level 172 on Candy Crush Saga again without worrying about spending money.