Harmony on the Plate: Peer Networks and the Evolution of Adolescent Vegetarian Identities

Exploring the interplay between social dynamics and dietary choices, this study focuses on the influential role of peer networks in shaping the vegetarianism practices of adolescents. Adolescence marks a pivotal stage where individuals actively construct their identities and behaviors, such as dietary practices. Dietary habits however extend beyond personal preferences. Adolescents may find resonance with the eating habits of their peers, incorporating them into their own dietary practices, or deliberately select friends who share similar moral perspectives on meat consumption.This study utilized data from the two-year panel survey SOCIALBOND, encompassing approximately 1,372 students in 22 schools in the North Rhine Westphalia region of Germany. Leveraging sociometric peer networks on the grade level, the potential co-dependence of friendship networks and vegetarianism in adolescence is investigated by disentangling social selection and influence effects. This research not only contributes to the broader discourse on social networks but also provides new insights into how dietary choices, such as vegetarianism, unfold within adolescent peer group dynamics.