Calls for online peer pressure education
A Birmingham University Professor has told Capital he believes children should be taught about the dangers of peer pressure on social media and learn how to protect themselves against it from an early age.
It comes after an online drinking game known as 'Neknomination' has claimed the lives of five people after they were nominated by their friends to drink alcohol publicly on social media sites.
Russell Beale, who is the head of pshychology, says many young people are taking part purely because they feel pressured into it as they are being nominated by their mates in public and says if young people, teachers and parents have a better understanding of online peer pressure it would prevent young people participating in these kinds of drinking games.
The craze has sparked warnings from police and health professionals who are urging young people not to take part, and have claimed that the number of accidental deaths caused by alcohol could rise due to the nature of these games on social media.
