Why do teenagers imitate their friends?

Adolescence is an inevitable and essential stage of life. It is a period of transition during which profound changes occur, both morphologically and behaviorally. From an evolutionary perspective, it allows us to leave behind childhood, including our dependence on our parents, and gradually acquire the physical and mental characteristics of youth and adulthood. This includes the ability to establish the social and emotional bonds characteristic of adulthood, a process often achieved through trial and error, questioning, and sometimes even crossing, established boundaries.

From a sociobiological perspective, one of the most notable features of this period is that they emotionally distance themselves from childhood relationships to strengthen those they form with their peers, which acquire paramount importance. One of the most effective ways to do this is through imitation. It is a natural and necessary tool in the process of building personal identity. Through imitation, adolescents compare their way of thinking and acting with that of their peers, allowing them to explore who they are, who and what they want to be, and how they fit in and what they must do to fit in within their peer group. Therefore, during adolescence, the feeling of belonging and the need to be accepted drive them to do what other adolescents do, or what they believe the people in their peer group want them to do.

What are the consequences?

Now, how can this behavior influence your identity, self-esteem, and mental health? Several recently published works, including one by South African psychologist Lawrence E. Ugwu and his colleagues, Scientific Reports, emphasize the negative consequences that this process can have if it is not accompanied by emotional support from the adults around them and without adequate reflection.

Imitating the way their friends dress, speak, move, or even think helps them feel integrated, reduces the uncertainties that loom around them, for example, regarding their future, and avoids rejection. I, experimenting with other people's identities before defining their own. This behavior can be conscious or unconscious, and it intensifies when the adolescent perceives that the other person is highly valued within the group.

It is in this context that group pressure, combined with to the influence of social networks and the media, can become a decisive factor. Neuroimaging studies have shown that social exclusion activates the same brain areas as physical pain. This intense emotional response may explain why some adolescents choose to conform to group norms even if this contradicts their own ethical and moral values or poses risks to their health or well-being.

Therefore, although imitation can have clearly positive effects, such as the learning of social skills, the internalization of norms and values, or the strengthening of emotional bonds, it can also become dangerous if not accompanied by critical reflection. When imitation becomes automatic or is motivated solely by the desire to fit in, it can lead to risky, potentially harmful behaviors, such as substance use, aggression, or participation in activities that conflict with one's own values. Furthermore, relying too heavily on the opinions of others can hinder the development of a coherent, personal identity. This lowers their self-esteem and makes it difficult for them to make independent decisions.

The risk of imitating without reflection

In this sense, adolescents who display high emotional impulsivity or a low perception of their status within the group are more susceptible to being influenced, worsening or experiencing internal conflict, which contributes to further diminishing their self-esteem and can lead to self-destructive behavior.

Faced with these realities, support from families or adult advocates, educational centers, and society in general is key. Adolescents need safe and emotionally stable spaces where they can freely express themselves, explore their identity, and receive emotional support from positive role models. That is, coherent, respectful, responsible, and healthy environments where they can critically and reflectively explore who and what they want to be, not only in relation to their peer group but also for themselves.