A survey carried out by novel editor Alyssa Matesic on her online blog showed that in 2024, ‘romance’ is the most used hashtag by literary agents and acquiring editors, indicating a desire for a splurge in the supply of the genre. A 2022 Guardian article reported that sales of romance novels in the UK were at their highest since 2012, with an estimated 14.3 million books being sold in a mere six months. A ‘Wordsrated’ post about romance novel statistics indicated that 70% of romance readers discover the genre between the ages of 11-18.
What do these statistics imply?
Not only is the international romance book market booming, but pre-teens and teens own its largest market share. If you ask a Gen Z teenager what their favourite book is, odds are they will name a Colleen Hoover or Emily Henry book. And their favourite thing to watch? Something along the lines of ‘The Fault in Our Stars’, ‘Kissing Booth’, ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’, or ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before' is likely to come as a response.
If the most consumed books and movies constantly hammer the rosy picture of ‘young-adult’ romance into teenagers' minds, it goes without saying that questions like ‘What would it be like for me?’, ‘Who will be my Theodore Finch?’ and ‘When will I get to experience the mushy teen love?’ can and will swarm across teens' minds, including yours and mine.
Be honest: when was the last time you cried yourself to sleep because most of your friends were dating and supposedly happy, but you were holed up in bed with nothing but fictional characters and their love stories? It's happened to the best of us, and it's high time to address the question of ‘Do you really want a teen romance or is it just something you think you want because you are always surrounded by it, both in reality and fiction?’
Have Something to Say? Write for Us!
Share your ideas and get published on The Teen Magazine. Whether it’s entertainment, wellness, or academics, your voice matters here!
Apply NowBenefits of a teen romance
- Gain skills that are the foundation for all future relationships
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "High school relationships can play a role in supporting youth's ability to develop positive relationships in other areas including: in school, with employers and with partners during adulthood."
The communication skills that teens develop when in romantic relationships are vital for success in their future professional and personal relationships. Regular dating also enhances the sense of self; a study conducted by Oklahoma State University found that teens who go on two or three dates a month report higher self-esteem than those who don't date at all. This is quite an intuitive fact: if we feel wanted by others, we are inspired to feel good about ourselves too, something that is an invaluable skill to have for life!
2. It can make you a more empathetic person
Being emotionally involved with a person encourages teens to think about how they can balance their needs with their partner's. It takes a great deal of mutual understanding to make relationships (especially teen relationships) work. Asking yourself what you can do to make your partner happy, or being able to put yourself in their position when they say they are ‘busy’ or ‘will call you later’ is an important ability to have.
You will never have everything according to your needs and wants, and accepting that and making occasional sacrifices for the sake of your relationship is a skill that transcends into all walks of life, from the workplace to a happy marriage.
Transly translation agency, from Unsplash
Drawbacks of a teen romance
- All good things come to an end
No matter how fulfilling and satisfying your teen relationship is, you would be highly idealist and heavily under the influence of YA stories to expect to live in a Condo and have babies with your teen love.
According to a Newport Academy article, fewer than 2% of people end up marrying their high-school sweetheart. And when the breakup does hit, it does so with a pang. Losing your teen love, whether it's because you are going to different universities and don't want to risk long-distance or because your ideologies don't match anymore, can feel like the end of the world. Due to both emotional immaturity and lack of experience, break-ups are harder for teenagers to deal with, and they always come with the risk of mental health problems like depression, and in severe cases, suicidal thoughts.
2. Self-improvement becomes an opportunity cost
It is a well-known economic concept that when you devote your time to something, you lose the chance to give time to something else, which becomes your ‘opportunity cost’. The biggest opportunity cost of engaging in teen romance is the time you could have spent reading more books, catching up on your schoolwork, or deepening relations with your family and friends.
There's so much you can do as a teenager. With schoolwork and decisions about college and your career taking up most of your time, it's vital to think wisely about how you spend your free time. Would you rather try and get to know somebody from scratch, or discover hobbies and interests to strengthen your knowledge about yourself? If you spend your high school years trying to become the best version of yourself, you'll build an unshakeable foundation that any future romantic relationship will be lucky to stand on.
Conclusion
Before you fall into the peer pressure of finding a dreamy, teenage love, it's critical to ask yourself if that's something you want. In my opinion, it's always better to refrain from falling in love with someone else when there's so much scope to love yourself more.
I, for one, am in my senior year and have avoided dating throughout high school. Not only has it allowed me to focus on my academics and future dreams, but it's also protected me from relationships that could end in superficial heartbreaks and premature pain. From setting my standards high, I have been able to steer clear of people who might end up being a ‘waste of time’. While there is always the possibility of finding ‘the one’ if I open up to the world of dating, the chances are extremely slim compared to meeting like-minded and more-suited people in college or other future endeavours.
Just like I figured out what's right for me, find out what's meant for you. If you choose to date in your teens, be mindful of ‘red flags’ and people who can't support your goals and ambitions. High school is possibly the most critical time of your life and the people you choose to let in can make or break your future.
If you wait and ‘save yourself’ as I did, there's no need to be ashamed—you are definitely going to become a more opinionated and strong-headed person than you would be by forcing yourself to get along with someone who is not right for you in the first place. We cannot base our choices on what's depicted in books and movies; ‘romance' might be the best-selling genre among teens, but it isn't always as happy and healthy in real life.
