Dive headfirst into LT’s dating pool

by Blake McCracken

High school is the perfect time to make mistakes: don’t study for that test; hit snooze five times; go on a date with that guy you found foraging on quickadds 30 minutes ago. You have friends, family, and school resources all at arms’ length to give mid advice, take care of you after a breakup, and keep you fed, housed, and hopeful. So why not dip your toe in the LT dating pool?
First, romantic relationships are more than kissing each other in the SC pool hallway; they’re learning how to communicate and empathize with each other. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, “[high school] relationships also can play a role in supporting youth’s ability to develop positive relationships in other areas including: in school, with employers and with partners during adulthood.” Dating improves social skills, an ancient characteristic in post-COVID America, and social skills get you employed, friends, and happier.
To refute the argument that you can gain the same skills from friendships: nuh uh. Anyone who’s ever been in a talking stage, situationship, hallway crush, open relationship, closed relationship, whatever, can tell you romance takes way more time and energy to sustain. I mean, you’re not texting your friends good morning beautiful every day, are you? Or getting them a one month anniversary gift? Or romantically kissing them? Often, friendships are low commitment, group exercises. Often, romantic relationships are one-on-one conversations where you maybe brush hands and “omg, he called me pretty” and “why is her Dad talking about his gun?” Simply put, romance teaches you social skills better than friendships do.
Even if you’re a “dating for marriage” kind of person, high school is the place to do it. I’m not saying you’re going to find the mother of your children while freezing outside SC because the stupid water pipe broke and the stupid school’s flooding; I’m saying it’s a great time to figure out what you like or don’t like. How often should you hang out? What’s your type? Blond? Tall? Athletic? E-Sporter? Communication style? Emotional/physical boundaries? Attachment style? Emotionally mature? Incapable of forming an intelligent sentence? What’s your love language and more importantly what is a love language?
And If your parents forbid you from getting all romantic with your biology study buddy, then ask them what they think will happen when you go off to college. Isn’t it better to date when Mom and Dad will be here to support me, give me advice, and intimidate them?
Hopefully, you study, take a practice test, then take the real test. Dating should be like that too. High school: study dislikes and likes. Post high school: date your type. Post post high school: find your soulmate, husband, wife, significant other, partner, lover, or 27 cats.
My last argument is because dating is just downright fun. Not everything is so deep and sensitive, and I promise you one breakup will not stay with you until your Social Security kicks in. Think of the cute date outfits, the even cuter dates, the late night talks, giggling at their notifications, flowers, compliments, holding hands, seeing them walk by and thinking “I’m dating them!”
So, start adding people on Snap, locking eyes with that cute guy in your lunch, and plotting on a prom sign (yes, lilies are my favorite flowers and my favorite Editor in Chief). You have your friends, family, school counselors, and a whole lot of love and personality to offer, so go get ‘em, tiger.

Dating shouldn’t define high school

by Joanna Barcelona

High school is a turbulent time. It’s hard to survive when you’re juggling schoolwork, extracurriculars, friendships, figuring out your future, and bedrotting in your room all day because your situationship’s vibes are off this week.
Young love is exciting and can bring happiness and deeply fulfilling connections to your life, but it can also feel like a kind of medieval torture. Is it really worth the Tuesday afternoon crashout because “your man” (a term that you would assume means your boyfriend, but can also mean situationship, talking stage, or crush whom you speak on average two sentences to per week) didn’t text you back?
Romantic relationships are often treated as a core milestone of the high school experience, similar to getting your driver’s license or first job. This expectation can create a feeling of getting left behind in those whose romantic experiences have been limited. It can make you feel undesirable and worth less as a person and cause you to pursue people you don’t feel a true connection with or even settle for harmful relationships because you feel like dating is what you’re “supposed” to be doing. Anything is better than being single, right?
But while it’s true that there are highschoolers in loving, long-term relationships, the opposite is also often true. Teenagers are immature and highly emotional, and thus more likely to make mistakes in relationships or to go for someone who isn’t right for them, resulting in fragile relationships that often end after just a few months. Mistakes are important for your growth as a person, but at a certain point, premature relationships can cause more harm than good. Toxicity and heartbreak can be especially emotionally damaging at our age, and even a positive romantic relationship can overtake your life and cause you to lose sight of other important things.
For instance, over-prioritization of your romantic life can lead to neglect of other important relationships such as those with your friends and family. Most people have a story about a friend who suddenly started spending all their time with their significant other and would only ever talk about said person, inadvertently pushing their friends away, and leaving them all alone once they broke up with the person they’d centered their life around.
There’s a subconscious cultural belief that romantic relationships are inherently superior to platonic ones, and this isn’t necessarily true—platonic bonds can be just as meaningful, and tend to last longer, whether you’re the same gender or not.
While alpha bro podcasters may spread the message that “friendzoning” is the worst thing you can do to another human, perhaps we should consider it more of a plus than a punishment. Simply being buds with your romantic interest is heavily preferable to all contact with that person dissolving into awkwardness. Seriously, if your partner or crush isn’t someone you’d want to be friends with, are they really someone you want to share saliva with? What is a romantic partner if not a glorified bestie?
I’m not saying high schoolers should be celibate—the heart wants what it wants, and there are many positives that can come from dating. Personally, Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday (after Halloween because that would be insane). But romance isn’t always worth prioritizing and agonizing over as much as we tend to do, nor is it something to be checked off on a list of things that give you value as a person. It’s okay to just chill—actually chill, not Netflix and chill.