From the Trenches: 8th Grade Guest Blogger
I’ve been asking some of my middle and high school friends to share their thoughts on some of these issues with me as guest bloggers. I’m calling these pieces “From the Trenches, ” since they are right in the middle of the things I’ve been talking about. In this piece, I asked an 8th grade boy what his thoughts were on how media depictions of romantic relationships affects people his age. Does he thinks that’s true? Is there pressure in middle school to be involved in romantic relationships? If so, how does he respond to it? Read on to hear what he had to say.
At my school, people get very involved with the “dating” scene. A boy will “ask out” a girl, and then they will be “going out,” “dating,” etc. And while some boys and girls actually do go on “dates” (the movies, Prime Time, etc.), a large group of the “couples” just talk to each other and act flirty around each other. Some of these “couples” may claim to be “dating” but don’t even sit together at lunch. (Notice I used quotation marks on these words.) My point in saying all this is that most middle school relationships are anything but serious. I myself choose not to get involved, despite some of my close friends doing it. Don’t get me wrong, almost half of my really close friends are girls, and for the most part, I enjoy hanging out with both guys and girls equally. I just choose to keep my relationships with girls on a friendship level.
Another thing I have noticed is that generally my friends who choose not to date are more laid-back, less stressed, and more drama-free than those of my friends who do choose to get involved with dating. I have nothing against middle school boyfriends and girlfriends; I just choose not to be a part of it.
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Dr. Jennifer W. Shewmaker » Gender and Media Talk
Gender and media podcast for everyday life, featuring interviews with guests ranging from researchers to practitioners in the field. Hosted by Jennifer Shewmaker.
Gender and Media Talk podcasts focus on hot topics and cutting edge research in the areas of gender and media.
