This year has been a particularly interesting year. For me, I’m settling into my junior year as an upperclassman, and I feel that things are different since I arrived here as a freshman. But, I’ve noticed a big change. It’s something among our student body that we’ve all seemed to struggle with: healthy relationships.
I’m no expert on this subject–merely an observer–but it seems as though it’s something we are struggling with as millennials and Gen Z’s. I cannot blame our parents’ divorce rates, society or the movies and shows we watch as I’m just a college student observing something. Yet, I do end up helping a lot of my friends through heartbreak or anger as they deal with a relationship that doesn’t seem to be healthy.
This is an astonishingly burdensome topic to discuss, mostly because I’m guilty of being a human being, as we all are. None of us are perfect, so it is easy to fall into traps within our relationships. Do we ever intend to be manipulative? Of course not. We do it subconsciously, occasionally with an innocent intent. Yet, more often than not, our subconscious manipulation has a malicious objective.
People of all genders and backgrounds also have a problem with unfaithfulness. I’ve spent many hours researching the rates of infidelity online and can’t seem to pinpoint an exact number. But, among the men and women surveyed, the unfaithful percentage is high.
When thinking about these issues within relationships, it’s hard to know where to turn. Anna Lasbury, music theater junior, posted something on Facebook that piqued my interest. She boiled it down to three major issues: social media, dating expectations and society. All three of these topics seem to be part of the same general issue. But, Lasbury made one thing clear.
“Why would anyone put in the extra time to go above and beyond expectations when giving the bare minimum is generally accepted? It seems laughable, yet this is the unfortunate reality of the American attitude,” she wrote.
I have to agree with her. We tend to think about relationships in a cynical way. It is my belief that relationships have become too relaxed, or, more like we have a relaxed attitude about them.
There is no traditional way to date, but there is a way to date. There is no traditional way to focus on your significant other, but they deserve your focus. We should demand respect from our significant others and treat them with that same respect. Most importantly, there is only one way to stay faithful to your significant other. If you are unable to do these things, then it might be time to address and repair these issues.
The most important part of this argument to bear in mind is that we are all human. None of us are actually capable of the perfect relationship. Emotions run thick in our blood.
For a generation that is openly criticized, let’s take the opportunity to shine in this area. I’m not saying that we all need to get married and reduce the divorce rates, but let’s all work together to make our relationships healthier and enjoyable rather than taxing and degrading.
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