The thrilling feeling that comes when you see a significant ‘other’ is one felt like no other. Whether you talk to your person of interest or admire them from afar, the sight of them makes you get butterflies in your stomach. Whether you are just ‘talking’ to someone or actively ‘dating’ them, the new modern take on relationships can become confusing, yet exciting. 

Talking:

Today, students experience the well known “talking stage” quite frequently, which is pretty much a relationship without a label. Somehow you end up getting their socials or number and begin chatting it up. It’s the most exciting stage to talk to someone as you get to know the person and get each other’s hearts racing for a reply. After a certain amount of talking you start to consider if you want a relationship. Especially in today’s day and age, there seems to be a lot of talking stages rather than dating, and why is that? Some may say it’s because they don’t like the commitment, or others may say they just want to experiment and have fun. It may be fun in the beginning, but many students end up struggling with the uncertainty of it all. With all the flirting between each other, it may make you question what they want from this relationship, or leave you wondering if they even like you. It’s not like you can even ask because you’re just ‘talking.’ The process can become repetitive and emotionally draining. Since the two people are not committed to each other, they are not required to be loyal to one another causing conflict, confusion, and heartbreak. But you really can’t do anything about it because you’re not ‘dating.’ If the ‘talking’ stage doesn’t progress naturally, eventually the interest in the talking stage dies down, or you end up finding some news you didn’t want to hear about the person you were talking to, then the cycle repeats again with another person.  

Dating:

Now, some may get past that talking stage and actually start dating. Congratulations, you have overcome the talking stage and now you’re in a full-fledged relationship. High school relationships can be blissful, but they can also be filled with drama. Since you are still in school, there is so much that happens during this time of your life. Most high school students date for about six months to about a year. Whether the break up is due to difference in maturity, cheating, or different views for the future, some couples do end up lasting far into the future. Many students become conflicted about the relationship when they reflect about their future. Especially with school, students tend to break up before they go to college. High school students are still teenagers and still have a whole life ahead of them. 

Some may say it’s more thrilling and others may say it’s not reasonable. Either way, both create a feeling of excitement to be with your person of interest.