Why Dating In High School Is Overrated

I never dated anyone in high school. There was something about the awkwardness of deciding whether I should sit with my friends or my SO at lunch that I was just not into. And look, I’m sure some aspects of dating someone at high school would’ve been fun. Like meeting up together before school to walk together, or grabbing a juice in the afternoon and chatting about all the tea that went down that day. But for me, being able to unpack other people’s drama over a cold beverage doesn’t outweigh the drama caused by high school relationships. 

Before I rip into high school relos too much, I just want to preface that I’m not saying you shouldn’t date anyone during school. But if you’re getting FOMO because you’ve been single during your teenage years, here’s a few reasons why you haven’t actually missed out on anything at all. 

The Drama

High school relationships are so often romanticised. Young love that bears no bounds and brings home the “cutest couple” award at formal. But a peek behind the curtains reveals all the petty drama that goes along with it. 

During high school, everything seems to be blown out of proportion, so the smallest disagreement becomes the literal end of the world. I remember in Year 10 some kid full on spear tackled another guy just because he was talking to his ex-girlfriend on the oval. Not gonna lie I was absolutely living for moments like this, but I was so glad I wasn’t a part of it.

Also, I swear every couple at school broke up pretty much once a week and everyone just acted like that was normal. Like, when you’re older, if a couple constantly broke up and got back together, everyone would say they’re toxic. But in high school, that’s just called Thursday.
 

The Awkwardness

If you’ve ever been stuck in the same room as two people that dated during high school, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. The glares, the subtle shade throwing, and the generally uncomfortable energy in the room.

But peak awkwardness was created by the couples who chose the same senior classes so they could be together all day, every day. But then they broke up a few months into Year 11 and they were stuck in the same class pretty much every period for the next two years (I’m sorry if that was you).

Losing Individuality

I feel like high school is one of the most important stages of self-growth and discovering who you are as a person. Having room to do this is essential so that you don’t miss out on any opportunities to try new things and learn about yourself. 

Don’t get me wrong, some relationships actually support personal growth, and that’s great. But the honest truth is that a lot of high school relationships don’t provide the right environment for freedom and self-discovery. Particularly in teenage relationships, it’s easy to feel like you have to act a certain way to impress your significant other, which can lead you to lose clarity of your personality after an extended period of time. 
 

But hey, maybe I’m completely wrong and misguided. I mean, I never dated during high school so I’m just speaking from observations. But if you’re like me, and were never in a high school relationship, you shouldn’t feel like you missed out. Being single when you’re young is underrated. You learn so many things about yourself and have the opportunity to grow into the person you’re meant to become, without the outside influence or limitations that can come from relationships.