Why do you think teens tend to overestimate the amount of drinking that goes on among their peers?

There are a few reasons why teens tend to overestimate the amount of drinking that goes on among their peers:

Social desirability bias: Teens may overestimate the amount of drinking that goes on among their peers because they want to appear more mature and accepted. They may feel that drinking is a way to fit in and be cool, so they may exaggerate how much they and their friends drink in order to seem more experienced and worldly.

Confirmation bias: Teens may also overestimate the amount of drinking that goes on among their peers because they tend to focus on the information that confirms their existing beliefs. For example, if a teen believes that most of their peers drink, they may be more likely to notice and remember the times when they see their peers drinking, and less likely to notice or remember the times when they don't. This can lead to a distorted view of the actual amount of drinking that is happening.

Misinformation: Teens may also overestimate the amount of drinking that goes on among their peers because they are exposed to a lot of misinformation about alcohol. For example, they may hear rumors about how much their peers drink, or they may see unrealistic portrayals of drinking in the media. This can lead them to believe that drinking is more common than it actually is.

Limited experience: Teens may also overestimate the amount of drinking that goes on among their peers because they simply don't have a lot of experience with alcohol. They may not have seen very many of their peers drinking, or they may not have had any personal experience with alcohol themselves. This can make it difficult for them to accurately judge how much drinking is actually happening.

It is important to note that not all teens overestimate the amount of drinking that goes on among their peers. However, the factors listed above can contribute to this tendency.