Peer pressure and social change

Do our individual actions matter? When faced with devastating global problems like climate collapse and coronavirus, it often seems that personal choices are too small to make a difference and that we should look to politicians and corporations to create change on a larger scale. But economist ROBERT H. FRANK says that while policy change is critical, our individual actions carry the social influence necessary to make these changes possible. In his new book, Under the Influence: Putting Peer Pressure to Work, Frank explains that we look to our neighbors, friends, family, and coworkers for clues on how to live our lives and that this small-scale peer pressure can be used to transform our societies—for better or worse.