TPO 18 – Independent: A/D? Students are more influenced by their teachers than by their friends.

Interactions and communications play a decisive role in every individual's social life. In this regard, people are mostly affected by the ones that have communicated more. In my vantage point, friends have the most effect on each other compared to the teachers. In the following paragraphs, I will elaborate on my perspective.

Friends spend a lot of time together. That is to say, friends are with each other not only at school but also at home. In everyday life, friends have the same pastime and spend a lot of time together so they can affect each other's behavior during interactions. For example, when I was at high school, my friends and I used to do our homework together and, then, go to play basketball. While we were sparing the time together, we talked a lot about our everyday problems, found solutions, and helped each other. Therefore, I learned that the best way to solve a problem is to consult with someone else.

Friends have the same perceptions and perspectives on different issues. In fact, people are absorbed to the person who is the most similar to them and has a broad knowledge of their situation because they can easily confide their issues, secrets, and problems with him. An empirical psychological study indicates that the person who has the same view of the situation can interact with you better and consequently you will accept his opinion and advice because you perceive that he feels the same as you.

Teachers communicate with students only at school and do not have enough time to be very effective, as friends are. Teachers may influence the students' future career by educating them, however, the students' social life and behavior will not be affected as much as the friends can influence on it.

By and large, students are more influenced by their friends than by their teachers because friends have a lot in common such as the time that the friends spare on the same pastime and diversions, the similar perceptions toward the conditions that they face with. In fact, common activities among friends lead them to have more interactions in comparison to their communication with their teachers in a limited class hours.