"Beers and Weirs"

In this week's Freaks & Geeks episode, we laughed along as we watched Lindsey's kegger take place. Mom and dad go out of town "trusting her" to do the right thing and of course once out of sight and out of mind her new cool friends get her to throw a party. Her brother and his friends fear the thought of kids drinking at the Weir household after having watched an awakening drinking and driving assembly at school that very day. They purchase a keg with fake beer and everyone becomes seemingly "trashed." Lindsey comes to find Daniel and his ex-girlfriend making out in her room and her mood changes from that all-time high to the emotional "drunk." Everyone quickly disperses after Neil calls the cops to help Lindsey get the house in shape before mom and dad get home.
We discussed agents of socialization after watching this episode, how everything and everybody around us influence the many decisions we make. In Lindsey's case, mom and dad's trust in her and the social pressure of being cool in front of her new friends, influenced her decision in having a party.
How many times in your own life do you do something because you know it will look better perhaps not in your own eyes but in the eyes of those you're looking to impress? Doing that extra little something at work that you probably wouldn't do if you knew your boss wasn't watching? Acting a certain way, saying something you wouldn't catch yourself saying or doing if it wasn't for the cute guy you were crushing on? Trying something you wouldn't ever let yourself try just to become accepted by a social group?
We're constantly in situations where those around us influence us. I can't say I've never been that person, in fact I've probably been in all of those situations and in some of them have acted against my own better judgment.
Although this episode was downright hilarious, it sent the message that we do in fact base many of our decisions on our agents of socialization.