You decide to take a walk around the playground and watch a teenager going the same way. You feel happy to see that at least one kid is taking out time to lift the face up from the phone and choosing playground over it. Oh wait! He changes his route and goes towards the restaurant because his beloved waits over there. Disappointing, yet a very common scenario, isn't it? Now-a- days, the playgrounds are empty while the restaurants are full with young couples.
Teenage affairs are very common these days. There was a time when people used to get shocked if they would hear a teenager having an affair. Now, even "A 14- year-old has an affair" is a very casual thing to hear. The big question is WHY. Why is the sudden change? Or is the change even sudden or was it a slow procedure? Let us have a look at the major issues behind it.
The first reason would be the overuse of cellphones! Many teenagers own cellphones and they will keep their eyes buried in them all day long, chatting and what not. It is quite normal to grow affection for a person with whom you are talking always, 24/7. In addition, with it comes the access to Internet and western culture. Internet is an amazing place only if is used wisely. It sometimes contains contents inappropriate for all ages, which can influence a teenager in a wrong way.
The movies these days show us only about love and running away. All these sorts of romance make you feel all butterflies, even if you are a grown up. The teenagers are easier targets. Now- a- days, it is"cool" to have an affair. This is another reason of jumping into a relationship, to show the world that he/she is keeping up with the pace too.
Finally comes the lack of guidance from the parents' part and it is the most important reason. Most of the parents are so busy making money for the children that they fail to keep track of their day-to-day lives. If the parents are sincere enough, then the above factors will not even matter much.
These early age affairs have a huge impact on the psychology, mostly a negative one. The heavy indulgence in the affair decreases the time to be spent for studies and family members. As the time spent on dating goes higher, the grades come lower. The family attachment decreases making him/her feel unwanted or unimportant. Again, these affairs are usually not long lasting, which causes heartbreaks dragging you to depression. Depression is never good for grades, and it may drag one towards drugs and alcohol. Once a person gets into drugs, wrong and hasty moves are everyday's companion and this might result in suicides even.
There is another nail biting effect of the early age relationships. Have you ever typed "What do I do" in Google and paused to see the suggestions? I will give you a hint- the options are mostly "What do I do, I am 13 and pregnant" or "What do I do, I am 15 and pregnant." A recent UN survey shows, around 200 teenagers die everyday due to child birth, whereas the number is higher in case of abortions. This scenario is not there in Bangladesh yet, we can only hope it does not engulf our future too, like many other ill cultures.
This is a shout out to all the kids out their! A teenager is not matured enough thus, it is quite natural to take a wrong step or two. What if a wrong step makes you suffer lifelong? What if you need to bear the results, when all the love and affairs fade away? Would you not want to save your hearts from scratches and wait for your Mr/Mrs Perfect while you prepare yourselves for an everlasting affair? The choice is yours to make, let us see if you are smart enough to pick the right one.
The writer is a 2nd year student of BBA at Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP),
rabita.jahan94@gmail.com
Prelude to downfall: Teenage affairs
Rabita Jahan Priota | Published: June 25, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
Photo: Collected
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