In our society, it's hard not to want a relationship. Books, shows, and movies shove it in our faces every day. As a hopeless romantic myself, I have fallen victim to this trap.
I am always reading or watching something with some form of romance. Whether it's on purpose or not, I always come across it. My all-time favorite shows and movies are full of romance.
Like "To All The Boys I've Loved Before" and "The Summer I Turned Pretty." These books and shows/movies are based on EPIC romances. I found myself romanticizing the idea of love and relationships. It is so easy for this to happen, easy for you to wonder when you'll meet your Conrad, Jeremiah, or your Belly. You should never rush into or just want love because it seems like everyone has a romance. Liking the "idea" of a relationship is fine, but you should know some of the downfalls of teen romance.
Credit: Pexels from Pixabay
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We read and watch romance, and we always see the amazing benefits of teen romance. The romance in these shows makes us continue watching. There are some things that we see when we watch or read romance, but we don't always fully understand. We are there for the romance, not all the negatives that are definitely part of relationships.
Breakups are one of the biggest things we see in shows, but again, we don't really see them. If all the relationships were perfect, no one would watch the shows and movies. We want the drama; we crave it. In the book and movie "To All the Boys I've Loved Before", Lara Jean and Peter break up on the ski trip, and Lara is devastated once she finds out that Peter wasn't actually waiting for her at the hot tub.
We always see the tears and the alienation of friends. You see the awkwardness that some couples push past, and sometimes it's awful. We tend to think that, "Well it's just a show or a book." But there is some realism to it. There is a serious emotional drain that comes from breakups.
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Let alone the actual relationship. Sometimes, relationships can have lots of pressure. Pressure to do certain things, pressure to be the best partner the other has had, pressure to be liked by both your partner and their friends and family.
That can make all the difference. The pressure is HUGE. This pressure can easily lead to mental health issues and anxiety, and it can lead to problems with more mature relationships.
Stress from toxic patterns like cheating or simply being mean. If you look at the Disney shows High School Musical, The Musical, and The Series, you can probably remember a time when E.J. was a bit uptight about Nini and Ricky's past relationships. He ended up stealing Nini's phone and deleting a voicemail from Ricky off her phone. That's a bit toxic.
Stress can also come from disagreements, miscommunication, or fights. As teens, we easily get wrapped up in these moments. We have an emotional overload, and sometimes, we aren't ready for mature relationships at such a young age.
Then there is the saddest part: the realism and future of your relationship. The bitter truth is that high school relationships don't usually last. There can be a lot of stress towards the end of high school in relationships, especially if you both have different life goals.
If you look at "To All The Boys I've Loved Before," Laura and Peter had a lot of stress in their senior year. It was hard for them to figure out how they were going to stay together since they weren't admitted to the same school.
Credit: Jupilu from Pixabay
Long distance is tough, as the shows portray, and the future after high school will either work out great or be a slow demise. That is just the sad reality. However, if it's meant to be, it will work out at some point.
As always, remember that there are exceptions to the statistics of high school sweethearts. Some people are lucky enough to meet the love of their life when they are young.
Being Happy and Single
Do those two words go together? Of course, they do! What these shows fail to mention enough is that there is a way to be happy when you are single.
Focus on you and what you love to do. When you focus on yourself, everything else, including romance, will come. Everything will come when it's meant to. There is a time for everything, and now might be the time to live in the moment. Everything will work out in every department of your life.
Credit: StockSnap from Pixabay
Before You Go
Love and relationships are everywhere, but that doesn't mean you have to rush or force things with just anyone. Sometimes, waiting for the RIGHT person to experience everything with is the best thing. You can be happy and single, I promise!
It's not a curse, even though everyone seems to have someone. Be free and have fun being single. It is possible! You can be as happy as you would be in a relationship, even if you are single. Trust me, you won't regret it!
