Ever since I was a young girl, I have been a cliche and wanted my Prince Charming to sweep me off of my feet. What can I say? I was raised on the thought that Disney movies were a reality. Some might call me a hopeless romantic, but I love laying in bed and repeatedly watching romantic comedies. Who doesn’t dream about their wedding and their happy ending?
There is nothing in this world that baffles me like hookup culture. I understand that hormones are obviously raging throughout the teen years, but what about self-esteem? Self-esteem in young people is so low that people will often hook up in order to feel a sense of self-worth. Some people might be searching for something in their hookup such as a feeling of being wanted that they do not feel in their everyday lives, or even expecting a relationship from a guy who did not even say their name with their phone number in his phone. By hooking up with random people and most likely never speaking to them again, hookups are causing more and more problems in people’s confidence.
What I truly do not understand is why I am expected as a young adult to participate in hooking up. If I want to go out to a party or the club with my friends, it is assumed that moment that I walk in that room that I am willing to hook up. Guys will come up to me, rarely sober, and assume that I want them just because I am there. I cannot stress how many times I have been offended by the way a guy has acted around me. People in this generation are so focused on sex that they do not understand how disrespectful their actions are. If I do not give in to the peer pressure of hooking up or grinding on a guy, I am suddenly an outcast.
We, as a generation, need to stop basing everything on hooking up. We need to stop sexualizing every little thing and start bringing back romance. If we continue to engage in this behavior, we will most likely stop getting married and the only babies that will be around will be the product of hook ups without two parents. Another huge problem is the fact that STDs are a lot more common now more than ever. Instead of hooking up with no feelings, wouldn't we all prefer to hook up with someone we love? We need to start falling in love again instead of falling into bed with someone we don't.
