“Happy new year my baby. You’re my everything. I love you so much!!!”

 

I get to see such posts on my Facebook and Instagram feed these days. That too, by teenagers of around 15 years of age. When I was that age, I was concerned about completing my work, projects, exams etc. This, on one side fills me with awe that how do they balance studies and relations but also makes me wonder about the emerging concept of ‘teenage love,” in our country.

 

Let me make this clear. I am an 18 year girl having curiosity as I see my juniors getting involved in commitments. This is not a debate whether it is apt for this age or not, but this is a perspective from a girl of late teenage.

 

Many would think that my age is rather too early to point out about this wherein people of my age are involved in relationships. But similar experiences and my developing wisdom made me write about this topic.

 

In countries like U.S. and other European and Australian countries, this is a normal phenomenon. So when I searched on the Internet, it gave me a technical viewpoint about this concept of teenage love like various types of crushes as well as the importance of sex education, sexually transmitted diseases(STDs) etc.

 

Even India is getting influenced by it. As the country is getting influenced by Westernisation, we are adopting new culture. And the concept of teenage love is becoming common.

 

Most teenagers do not tell their parents about this as they fear  refusal. It is true that our culture is restrictive in certain areas but why hide from your parents, who have given you a soul to live with. There might be very few parents who approve of it, very few I think. One of my classmate in college has a boyfriend and her mother knows about it and is absolutely okay with it. See, there are parents who have no problem with such relations.

 

But if you’ll take my family in this case, they won’t approve of it. I belong to a family where excelling in academics is of utmost importance and love at this age is career-destroying. My cousin sister has a boyfriend and she frequently hangouts with him. That is a huge topic of gossip for my family members. Their belief is not wrong. Nowadays relations are made just for fun and they won’t want someone from their family to get trapped or bring in trouble due to a wrong decision.

 

I attribute teenage love to 2 reasons: in this age, due to hormonal changes feelings for opposite gender develops. Second thing could be media. Exposure to content of sexual attraction may also have a role and in this age, the exposure is fair enough.

 

I read a line while searching about this topic from the Internet that career takes a backseat due to teenage relationship.

I thought that yes, it is possible. Most of these relations are made out of mere gratification of sexual drives. And most of the time it has happened that there is poor academic performance due to break-up.  Many a times teenagers don’t have proper guidance about these things so it can happen. Especially when one rejects their partner, there are instances of depression, which hinders mental health. Depression at this age? When one has a lot to experience in life?

 

Children are always in a hurry to grow up. For them, growing up means going independently wherever they want without their parents’ assistance, partying and having fun with friends. In such case, whatever you would sow in them, that is what they will reap. It is necessary that parents give them awareness about concept of love and relationships so that they make wise decisions and have a bright future.

 

I am not against this concept but having maturity is important, having a conscience is important and having knowledge is important.