I would generally agree with the statement that friends are the most important influence on young adults. Certainly, I cannot ignore the influence that family has on young people because the parents determine their children`s` further behavior.
In my opinion, the most important influence on children is that family has. But when kids leave their usual circle of influence such as family because they become students they enter a new circle of influence of their schoolmates. In turn, their schoolmates become the most important influence on young adults until high school or college.
When children become teenagers or young adults friends are those who have not only the most important but also the strongest influence on them. There are several reasons for that. First, many teenagers leave home to study at a distant high school or college. They have already broken connections with their families and friends become the closest people around them. Second, the most frequent social contacts young adults have are with their friends which are usually at the same age. Therefore, teenagers share same interests with their friends; they have same problems and what is more they depend on each other for help or advice. In addition, it is crucially important for an young adult to be a part of the youth culture. In order to be accepted in the society teenagers have to follow the same behavior models typical of their friends.
All of above mentioned forms my opinion that friends are the most important influence on young peoples` further behavior. While some people think that the family is the most substantial factor for development of young adults I believe that friends have the most powerful effect on young peoples` attitude to the other members of the society and to the world as a whole. And sometimes that influence may last forever.
