Positive Peer Pressure - Students' View

            Students at Michigan State University say they experience a lot of positive peer pressure. Mechanical Engineering freshman Adam Doody said that the guys on his floor in Wilson Hall keep each other busy by playing volleyball, Frisbee, skateboarding, long boarding, and having Smash Bros. video game tournaments.

            “It’s not that we were ‘good kids’ to start off with, we just found that now that we’ve formed this relationship we’re too preoccupied to go out,” said Doody.

            Doody said that having friends and keeping busy is underrated in keeping away from things like alcohol and drugs.

            “Our goal isn’t to keep each other from [substances], it’s just a result that happens naturally,” Doody said.

            An associate of Lambda Chi Alpha, Noskey said that even the fraternity is a source of positive influence.

             “The guys are really positive and want us to get involved with the community. They don’t force us at all to do anything; it’s all personal choice,” he said.

            Computer Engineering freshman Dakotah Lytle said that while he’s been at MSU he’s experienced a lot of people doing homework, not procrastinating, choosing healthy things to eat, and playing sports instead of videogames.

Positive Peer Pressure - Expert's View

            Positive peer pressure is prevalent at Michigan State University, health educators say.

             Allyson Rogers, who has a Master of Arts in Health and Risk Communication said that peers are influencing one another to make healthy decisions.

           “I definitely think we’re seeing that adults and those in student life are being more assertive going into adulthood,“ said Rogers, a Health Promotion & Communication Specialist with Olin Student Health Services at MSU.          

               The Student Health Services uses the data collected from the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) survey to help MSU students and parents better understand health trends, and risks.

              According to the spring 2012 MSU Student Health Assessment, only 24.1 percent of students judge health information from friends to be believable.

            Students believe health educators and health center medical staff to be nearly 88 percent believable.

            Interestingly though, friends were still the fourth most-commonly identified source of health information (50.4 percent).

            So while students believe their peers are only 25 percent believable, they turn to one another for health information 50 percent of the time. Why?

            Rogers said that students turn to friends out of ease of access and because they feel more comfortable discussing sensitive health topics with them.

      

            

MSU Students' Views on Music Trends (JRN 200)

            Music’s role in society is changing, especially among young adults. Various Michigan State University students were interviewed about their views of music trends in college.

            Kassandra Nalera, a civil engineering freshman at MSU, said that lyrics are beginning to play the background in how students value music.

            “You listen to what you want to hear. And they change over time, depending on what the generation wants to hear,” she said, adding that you listen to “what you as a person want to associate with.”

            Daniel Cortes, a chemical engineering sophomore, said that song value changes person to person.

            “It all depends on who the student is and their background… I’m all about rhythm, others are all about lyrics, others are about popularity.”  

            To Kyle Fitton, a chemical engineering sophomore, social media is what creates the main music buzz.

            “When I see one or two people talking about something it doesn’t really matter, but if you see a lot of people making a big deal about something I usually go check it out. It’s usually a pretty good gauge of how interesting something is," Fitton said.

           

Professionals' Views on Music Trends (JRN 200)

           The way students listen to and value music is changing drastically. According to professionals, the Internet and YouTube are primary catalysts for this change.

            Higher education reporter Jenna Johnson said YouTube’s power lies in its low cost and ease of use.

            “It’s just very free and accessible. It’s not that much work – with one click you’re there and you’re watching it,” she said.

            Johnson also said that artists and producers are moving away from “artsy” to “outlandish” in order to draw in the crowds.

            “It’s something people will talk about: ‘This is hilarious,’ ‘I want to try it myself,’ ‘this is ridiculous,’ ‘this is stupid,” she said.

            Michigan State University Professor of Music John H. Kratus said that the way people experience music now is “much more individualistic and much more global” than in the past.

            According to Kratus, music is far more individualistic because consumers don’t have to go through the “gatekeeper” of label records.

            Likewise, he said that music’s global emphasis comes from musicians’ ability to use the Internet and build a fan base worldwide.

            

So Small, yet so Powerful

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