Today I am presenting a less serious topic, but still a topic
I think is important for young middle school teens. At this age there is a lot
of change happening. Moods change, feelings are bouncing all over the place,
and you start to see that annoying boy or girl in class a bit differently. So there is a ton of confusion. The topic is
middle school dating and why it is not a good idea.
First point is kids are immature. So at this age they are not
ready to go a date. Relationships in middle school are not committed so they
will not last. What is to gain? “It’s faux so it’s not real.” Teens dating are
supposed to be practice for the future. What are they really learning? Not much
they usually only mimic what they see on television. At this age teens usually
do not have money or a car to really go out on a date. If they go somewhere
their parents are taking them which is extremely romantic. 58% of 12-year-olds owned a cell phone in
2009, and in 2004 it was only 18%. Nowadays a typical way teens “date” each other is texting. Which is so
fun and a great way to learn how to socialize and communicate with other people.
Just sitting typing words with little smiley faces and hearts. “They
care more about the opinions of their peers than pretty much anything else.” Kids
at this age post about everything happening in their small petty lives. This
means they will bring their relationships on the internet for everyone to see.
And if they are not in a relationship they let us know that they are available
and looking for a relationship to be in. Have you ever seen a grown adult do
this? How silly is this? They post way too much. They have month anniversaries.
If that is a real concept. Adults do not do this. It’s not mature at all.
Second point is consistent dating is a distraction and can
get in the way of what is really important at this age. They do not need to be
thinking about when or where they are going to take their boyfriend/girlfriend
somewhere. They should not have to worry about pleasing someone and making them
happy. They already have so much on their plate like homework, studying,
hobbies like sports, keeping a relationship with their family and having time
for their real friends. Those things are what is really important right now for
a 12-14 year old? Correct? Many kids actually hide their relationships from
their parents. So what’s the point if they cannot be honest and share this
great “love” with other people they love. It must not be that great if it has
to be hidden. Kids are spending way too much time thinking of ways to hide
their relationships when they could just be together in a group of friends.
Third point. Middle schoolers think they should grow up and
act like the adults they are exposed to. What is worse than 16 and pregnant? 13
and pregnant. This is not a common thing, but it does happen usually to kids
without real guidance or parents as good role models. A pediatric study said approximately
11% of respondents were sexually active, and of those, fewer than 30% had
unprotected sex at their last sexual encounter. Kids think they need to grow up and do what the adults and
the latest pop star does. That can really ruin their child and eventually lead
to them living their carefree childhood as a legal adult. Middle school kids should
stay kids and wait because they have the whole rest of their lives to date and
partake in acts that require someone with a lot more responsibility.
The main point I am getting at is kids should make friends
and focus on forming lasting relationships with friends at ages 11-14. They do
not need to act like adults yet they can do that much later in life or even
high school when they can actually go places because they can drive. Thank for
listening I hope you learned a few things from this very “serious” issue
