Friday, January 31, 2014

The Effects of Hooking Up on America's Youth

In today’s culture many college students spend a lot of time hooking up.  It’s something that many people use to attempt to fill a feeling of sexual emptiness, or some do it just for fun either way taking part in this can really negatively affect an individual. 
College is a place for many firsts, especially when it comes to sexual activity.  Lots of people have anything from their first kiss to their first real relationship.  It can be an exciting time for some, but it can also lead to a depressing couple of years if you participate in hooking up.  Opinions of hooking up range from anything as simple as kissing to something as serious as sex.  Many of these experiences lead to sadness[1], which could possibly lead to people feeling left out, or feeling used. 
I know some people personally that participate in hooking up.  Though they act like they are fine, they can never seem to stop hooking up.  It’s like they are looking for something to fill an emptiness within them.  Now this is not how all my friends feel about hooking up.  Some of them love it and enjoy it very much.  There is just something about the appeal of emotionless hook ups that appeals to them. 
 This hook up life is almost like a sport that all the cool kids participate in according to a CNN article.[2]   More and people are hooking up, leaving more and more people dissatisfied.  Out of the 557 students that were interviewed, and asked how they felt after a hook up.  41% answered that they felt feelings of regret and sadness.[3]
Obviously this hook up phenomenon is something that is not healthy for the average youth in America.  Something should not leave you feeling regret and sadness, but happiness and a feeling of satisfaction.  One positive thing that can be taken from all of this though is that over time with age the want to hook up slowly fades away.  It is they human condition to what to seek happiness and settle down with someone not to keep moving around from person to person.[4]
In the end hooking up obviously is not healthy, but is something that I believe is necessary, for if people did not hook up they would not realize that it is better to seek better and genuine relationships.  So in general terms hooking up is a necessary evil that hurts but benefits society.
-Nathan Brown



[1] Kerner, Ian. "Young adults and a hookup culture." May 16 , 2013. http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/16/health/kerner-hookup-culture/ (accessed January 31, 2014).
[2] Kerner, Ian. "Young adults and a hookup culture." May 16 , 2013. http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/16/health/kerner-hookup-culture/ (accessed January 31, 2014).
[3] Kerner, Ian. "Young adults and a hookup culture." May 16 , 2013. http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/16/health/kerner-hookup-culture/ (accessed January 31, 2014).
[4] Kerner, Ian. "Young adults and a hookup culture." May 16 , 2013. http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/16/health/kerner-hookup-culture/ (accessed January 31, 2014).

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