NICK NEWS to Air Peer Pressure Special, 5/13

It's cool, everyone's doing it! Kids share stories of feeling pressured by their peers to behave a certain way in the brand-new half-hour Nick News with Linda Ellerbee special, "If all the other kids are...? The Politics of Peer Pressure," premiering Tuesday, May 13, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. The special explores the power of peer pressure and its negative and positive effects.

"I definitely think I've changed myself around people, so they liked me or still wanted to be friends with me," says Hannah, 14, of Demerest, N.J.

"I think kids convince other kids and push them to do dangerous and risky things to boost their popularity and to gain a sort of social power," says Simon, 13, of Boston, Mass.

"I used to hang out with a group of friends who used to shoplift," says Maggie, 17, of Philadelphia, Penn. "We went to a department store and I was like, you know what, I might as well try, since like everybody's doin' it. The Cops were called and I got caught and had to deal with the consequences."

The special also touches on how peer pressure can be positive. Zeke, 12, of New York says pressure from his friend makes him a better comic book artist. Liz, 12, of Boston, Mass. was pressured to join the debate team by friends and now loves it. Epiphany, 14, of New York says she never would have joined student government if it weren't for peer pressure.

Maddy, 18, of Holland, Mich. is a member of a group of high school students who talk to middle school kids about recognizing peer pressure and how to deal with it. "We're in high school and we're still feeling it every day," she says. "So it's really important that we're getting to them now because in middle school they're gonna make decisions that lead into how they're gonna get on with the rest of their lives."

"Go along with the group or don't go along with the group?" says Linda Ellerbee. "Either choice comes with consequences, so which is the right choice? Generally, if you listen to your inner self, you'll find you already know the right choice."

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