Social media controls modern relationships, teens don’t talk face-to-face

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Imagine getting to know someone with no direct communication, no emotional connection, and no dating. This would be considered just a regular relationship to most teens of this generation.

Today, teenagers and young adults don’t go on dates to become involved with someone. Most of the time socializing is done through social media.

Meeting, talking, and flirting is all done through social media now, rather than having a face-to-face conversation.

Mr. Scott Lints, physical education teacher, has four children between the ages of 7 and 20. He said relationships are different nowadays compared to how they were when he was younger.

“Back then, you actually had to (have) face-to-face interaction and ask someone out on a date,” Lints said. “Face-to-face interaction is something you don’t have anymore.”

Today it seems as though young people have lost the true meaning of a relationship. Many relationships last only a few weeks or months, as if they do not mean anything anymore.

Jawan Peat, junior, believes modern relationships become complete failures.

“People go out with each other nowadays and then they break up,” Peat said. “No one wants to have a serious relationship. They just wanna play around.”

Online networks like Facebook and Instagram have made it possible to socialize with people without any actual confrontation, and this can teach teens to be closed off and unwilling to have face-to-face interactions.

Teenagers today go through a phase in relationships called “talking,” the borderline between being friends and being in a relationship.

The talking phase allows the two individuals to get to know each other. Most of the talking is done through text messaging, which usually means the relationship isn’t “official” yet.

This phase gives the idea that a relationship isn’t something that is meant to be taken serious.

Mr. Robert Markwardt, history teacher, has two daughters ages 15 and 20. He said that when he was younger, most of the time meeting new people was done at school, but now there’s more use of media in order to communicate.

Markwardt said he believes if relationships continue like they are right now they’re going to end up becoming less personal.