Hookup Culture and Its Impact on Teens

Hookups: a sign of feminism or the degradation of women? According to the article “Sexual Hookup Culture: A Review” by the Review of General Psychology, the concept of hookups first appeared in the 1920s but became more popular in the 1960s. The article stated, “Young adults became even more sexually liberated in the 1960s, with the rise of feminism, growth of college party events, widespread availability of birth control (condoms and oral contraceptives), and deposing of parental expectations as central to mating and marriage” (Garcia et al.). Back in the 60s, teens felt like hookups gave them a new sense of freedom. But now, sixty years later, are hookups still a sign of freedom and feminism?

With the creation of social media and dating apps, hookups have been on the rise, and it is estimated about 60-80% of all college students have had at least one hookup experience. Social media, TV shows, and movies all depict hookups as fun and careless experiences that everyone enjoys. But the reality is, according to the article Cover Story, “only 57% of women enjoy hookups, while the majority of men enjoy hooking up” . Even though there are a few people who enjoy hookups, both men and women often feel regret and shame after the experience. The media always portrays a false reality that teens look up to, which is detrimental to teen’s mental health. And the media’s portrayals of hookups are no different.

Hookups can take an extreme toll on women’s mental health and often leave girls feeling depressed. Since hookups are casual sexual encounters, they often lack the love and connection humans need and can leave women feeling lonely and unwanted. The song “Stay with Me”, by Sam Smith is a perfect example of how it can take an emotional toll on people. The lyrics “Guess it’s true, I’m not good at a one-night stand But I still need love ‘cause I’m just a man…. Oh, won’t you stay with me? ‘Cause you’re all I need This ain’t love, it’s clear to see But darling, stay with me” demonstrate the need for connection that hookups don’t satisfy.

Moreover, hookup culture creates an environment where women lack self-esteem and confidence. Many women think they have to dress or look a certain way to attract attention. Women will dress for men and hide their true personalities because of the toxic hookup culture that forces them to believe they must look or act a certain way in order to be attractive. According to the article, “Sexual Hook-up Culture,” “Hook-up scenarios may include feelings of pressure and performance anxiety, contributing to feelings of discomfort. In Paul et al.’s (2000) study on hookups, 16 percent of participants felt pressured during their typical hookup.” Hookups are no longer a freeing experience; instead, they degrade women and take a toll on their mental health. Hookup culture has also set the bar really low for men. Girls will lower their standards to get a guy. In an article written by a magazine for teen parents, it said, “Sites that our teens have access to such as Tinder, Grindr, and Blendr. New social media has dramatically changed the landscape of what is considered dating” (Schulman). It continues to talk about how the realm of dating has changed because of Hookup culture, and how many teens no longer experience real romantic relationships. Instead, they have “quickies'' and one-night stands.

Hookups once were a sign of the sexual freedoms women gained after the creation of birth control, but now, hookup culture leads to women sacrificing their ideal relationships for an emotionless encounter. Many women have a desire for close relationships with deep emotional connections, but they will settle for a hookup. Why is that? It is simple: people tend to follow societal norms and the fear of missing out (FOMO). Now hookups are careless sexual encounters that degrade the value of many girls. Let’s take back the power birth control has given us, raise our standards, and not conform to societal norms, especially if they hurt us.

Bibliography

“COVER STORY Sexual hook-up culture.” American Psychology Association, February 2013, https://www.apa.org/monitor/2013/02/ce-corner. Accessed 15 December 2020.

Garcia, Justin R., et al. “Sexual Hookup Culture: A Review.” NCBI, 1 June 2012, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3613286/. Accessed 15 December 2020.

“Sam Smith- Stay with Me.” Genius, Genius, 2014, https://genius.com/Sam-smith-stay-with-me-lyrics. Accessed 15 December 2020.

Schulman, Debby. “Online Hookup Culture, And Other Dangers of Social Media.” Your Teen For Parents, https://yourteenmag.com/health/teen-sexuality/fomo-teens-online-hookups. Accessed 15 December 2020.