As Young as Fifteen
Brooke McBee
Brooke McBee
Relationships - whether platonic or romantic, one-sided or mutual, short or long-lasting, they are almost always complicated. Pair the already complex bond between people with the awkward tension of being a teenager, and one is doomed for “failure”, Vanessa Wong, a Hillgrove sophomore, describes. While some teens are set on finding prince charming in their chemistry class, others have rather negative views associated with the thought of dating in high school.
Abbigayle Mouchakkaa, a single tenth grader, strongly believes teenage relationships are inevitable disasters: “You [teens] have not gone through any experience… all you need to do is focus on yourself; you do not need a distraction in your life. They are not genuine, and they will cheat on you.” Other teens seem to express the same viewpoints, such as Vanessa Wong claiming, “All high school relationships are fake. They are not going to last long, because there are so many complications from dating in high school. They [teens] are still growing up, and their brains are still developing. Plus, they have things like school and homework to worry about. Only, like, 1% of their relationships will be successful marriages.”
Though Wong’s estimate is not far off, with less than 2% of people marrying their high school sweetheart, that number hits home to some teens. Alicia Keup believes, “It is possible to fall in love as a teenager… and I think some [relationships] do possess the ability to develop into eventual marriages, because my parent’s did.” However, she, too, further perpetuates the idea of teenage relationships lacking “loyalty and trustworthiness because when you [teens] are in high school, you do stupid things. You could accidentally be flirting with another person and not necessarily realize, and then it puts worry into the relationship and you do not trust them.”
For many, a teenage relationship’s potential depends on the intentions of the people involved. Keup believes the ratio of casual to serious relationships is “half and half because some people just want to be in a relationship and they are not really in love, and then some are genuine.”, while Amanda Wnek, another sophomore, explains, “The majority of them are for show, but I do think that there are some genuine high school relationships.”
Despite most of the eventual breakups, the experience can still serve a positive impact on one’s life and outlook. “Even if you [teens] do not stay together, you know what to expect the next time you are in a relationship, so it prepares you for the next one.”, Keup reveals.
Though many believe teenage relationships lack sincere feelings and act as distractions to more important aspects of one’s life, others see the potential for an authentic long-lasting dating experience. Even if one is not apart of that lucky 2%, a high school love life may still be able to bring knowledgeable insight and guide them in their future.
Abbigayle Mouchakkaa, a single tenth grader, strongly believes teenage relationships are inevitable disasters: “You [teens] have not gone through any experience… all you need to do is focus on yourself; you do not need a distraction in your life. They are not genuine, and they will cheat on you.” Other teens seem to express the same viewpoints, such as Vanessa Wong claiming, “All high school relationships are fake. They are not going to last long, because there are so many complications from dating in high school. They [teens] are still growing up, and their brains are still developing. Plus, they have things like school and homework to worry about. Only, like, 1% of their relationships will be successful marriages.”
Though Wong’s estimate is not far off, with less than 2% of people marrying their high school sweetheart, that number hits home to some teens. Alicia Keup believes, “It is possible to fall in love as a teenager… and I think some [relationships] do possess the ability to develop into eventual marriages, because my parent’s did.” However, she, too, further perpetuates the idea of teenage relationships lacking “loyalty and trustworthiness because when you [teens] are in high school, you do stupid things. You could accidentally be flirting with another person and not necessarily realize, and then it puts worry into the relationship and you do not trust them.”
For many, a teenage relationship’s potential depends on the intentions of the people involved. Keup believes the ratio of casual to serious relationships is “half and half because some people just want to be in a relationship and they are not really in love, and then some are genuine.”, while Amanda Wnek, another sophomore, explains, “The majority of them are for show, but I do think that there are some genuine high school relationships.”
Despite most of the eventual breakups, the experience can still serve a positive impact on one’s life and outlook. “Even if you [teens] do not stay together, you know what to expect the next time you are in a relationship, so it prepares you for the next one.”, Keup reveals.
Though many believe teenage relationships lack sincere feelings and act as distractions to more important aspects of one’s life, others see the potential for an authentic long-lasting dating experience. Even if one is not apart of that lucky 2%, a high school love life may still be able to bring knowledgeable insight and guide them in their future.