When teens come to high school they meet other students and they start to mature as they age. Despite some preferences, a majority of high school students will commit to a relationship during school.
Being able to see your significant other everyday, having classes with them; these are just some of the benefits of dating while in school. Another plus of a high school relationship is becoming more mature when it comes to dating in general. You can learn about your partner, and have the fun experience of dating. If it doesn’t work out, you can learn from the mistakes in the relationship and have more knowledge for the next one. High school dating isn’t as serious as “real world” dating, so it’s fun preparation.
Dating in high school can lead to great romance, and love, even if it’s young. According to stageoflife.com, 61% of high school students have claimed to be in love. In some rare chances, high school relationships can eventually lead to marriage; “High school sweethearts that wait until at least the age of 25 to get married have a 10 year success rate of 78%” according to Brandon [Gaille] marketing expert.
In addition, dating in high school teaches you a lot about yourself. You can learn if you like being in a relationship, gender preference, or if you just want to focus on school.
Having a relationship is especially beneficial during high school because of prom season. It’s always nice to have a special romance to dance with at a special occasion like prom.
Despite these advantages, there are still multiple drawbacks to having a romance in high school.
If the relationship goes severely wrong, it’s most likely that someone will be hurt. It’s possible that friends are forced to choose sides of each partner in the relationship. Fights between the ex-pair happen, and they’re messy. Most important, one of the people in the relationship is left with a broken heart.
Other worries about high school relationships are age gaps. In high school students of all different ages go “steady.” This is a concern because older students sometimes take advantage of dating a younger student. Or sometimes the older student is too mature for the younger one, and this leads to issues in the relationship. If the relationship is long-term, distance and time can be issues when one student graduates and goes to college.
High school breakups are the worst for multiple reasons. There’s the chance that you’ll still have to see your ex in the halls, or they could even be in your classes. You’ll for sure hear the name pop up in a conversation when you don’t want to hear it. In general, going through any breakup is painful. However, in high school you’re fragile, you’re young, and you have powerful hormones and emotions. Therefore, a breakup in high school might be even more painful than one later in life.
Other realities of student relationships are pregnancies and STDs. Despite teen pregnancies being at an all time low according to cdc.gov, a high school pregnancy is always a possibility when in a relationship.
Additionally, according to dosomething.org, 46% of American high school students are at risk for HIV and other STDs.
Overall, having your first love is exciting. Dating in high school comes with great benefits and experience. At the same time, there is risks and possible downsides as well. “According to some research, it doesn’t matter who you date first, but it does matter who you love first when it comes to building an enduring relationship” found Brian [Gaille] marketing expert. In the end, find out what you think is best for you, and just take caution when it comes to high school relationships.
