What would happen if it was illegal for a person under the age of 18 to date? I understand that this would be impossible to enforce, but think about it. Kids wouldn't be getting pregnant and going on welfare, and teenagers wouldn't be killing themselves because their significant other broke up with them. More time would be spent on important things like school. I don't see any benefits in dating when you are a teenager, because it seems like nothing good really comes out of it. And before I get all the comments, I am not bitter because of a recent break up, I am just wondering how many problems it would solve in America... Like I said before, I know it's not realistic, because it would be impossible to enforce this, it's just a thought...
What would happen if dating before the age of 18 was illegal?
- Thread starter Pastore
- Start date
Soybomb, that is one of the HUGE problems... I would say a VERY large percentage of teenage relationships are based completely around sex (I know mine was), and thats where the problems start...
If you could get nature to push back puberty to age 18 it would work. Unfortunately due to nutrition and living standards especially girls keep reaching puberty earlier and earlier. So maybe soon you won't have to worry about teens doing all that but grade school students. Now that's a scary thought.
I think for most people dating in high school can give you valuable experiences. The majority comes through it alright - kids getting pregnant or killing themselves may be a problem, but it's not like the majority of teens end up that way.
And beast - none of my relationships in high school were based on sex. I didn't have it until I was 18 - your proposed legal age for dating
I think for most people dating in high school can give you valuable experiences. The majority comes through it alright - kids getting pregnant or killing themselves may be a problem, but it's not like the majority of teens end up that way.
And beast - none of my relationships in high school were based on sex. I didn't have it until I was 18 - your proposed legal age for dating
it would create problems. people would get all sneaky, and tempers would flare. problems would arise
also, if you think about it, when they would meet again (cuz they would have to be all sneaky), the chances of having sex is greater
also, if you think about it, when they would meet again (cuz they would have to be all sneaky), the chances of having sex is greater
- Oct 28, 1999
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I don't think your "solution" is going to "solve" anything. The problem isn't the relationship, it's the stereotypes that kids see on tv, from their friends, and in magazines that are the problem.
A lot of this deals with a thread started last night asking what you would rather a child see, a porn movie, or a graphically violent movie. I said the violent one.
With parental involvement becoming less and less these days, kids turn to tv and magazines to find out how to do things. Unfortunately, all these magazines show is that having sex is a good thing. They don't show you a herpes ridden crotch, or a picture of a pregnancy. They don't tell you how much it costs to raise a kid from birth to the age of 18. And the certainly don't tell you about how much emotional involvment is there in a sexual relationship.
It's not dating that's the problem, it's what has been accepted as the norm. The norm is that sex is good, and that there aren't any real repercussions to it.
The truth is, sex can kill you from diseases, sex can leave you sterile for the rest of your life from diseases, sex can ruin any sort of life that you had planned for yourself if you have a child thrown into it before you are ready.
Sex isn't based on love anymore by a lot of teenagers. Its because of the curiosity that has built because of what's been thrown at them.
Who you settle down with and eventually marry is based upon trial and error relationships. These relationships start all the way back in junior high. You just figure out yourself, and who you'll be happy with through these errors. Making it illegal for this to happen will just make it even harder for somebody to figure out who they are, and what they want. Many think they have found true love in high school, but once they hit the college age, they start to reevaluate their past relationships and see that they really weren't "all that". Taking this away will just increase the divorce rate, increase tensions between the sexes, and make our teen poplulation more "pent up" than they already are.
A lot of this deals with a thread started last night asking what you would rather a child see, a porn movie, or a graphically violent movie. I said the violent one.
With parental involvement becoming less and less these days, kids turn to tv and magazines to find out how to do things. Unfortunately, all these magazines show is that having sex is a good thing. They don't show you a herpes ridden crotch, or a picture of a pregnancy. They don't tell you how much it costs to raise a kid from birth to the age of 18. And the certainly don't tell you about how much emotional involvment is there in a sexual relationship.
It's not dating that's the problem, it's what has been accepted as the norm. The norm is that sex is good, and that there aren't any real repercussions to it.
The truth is, sex can kill you from diseases, sex can leave you sterile for the rest of your life from diseases, sex can ruin any sort of life that you had planned for yourself if you have a child thrown into it before you are ready.
Sex isn't based on love anymore by a lot of teenagers. Its because of the curiosity that has built because of what's been thrown at them.
Who you settle down with and eventually marry is based upon trial and error relationships. These relationships start all the way back in junior high. You just figure out yourself, and who you'll be happy with through these errors. Making it illegal for this to happen will just make it even harder for somebody to figure out who they are, and what they want. Many think they have found true love in high school, but once they hit the college age, they start to reevaluate their past relationships and see that they really weren't "all that". Taking this away will just increase the divorce rate, increase tensions between the sexes, and make our teen poplulation more "pent up" than they already are.
vi_edit, I completely agree with you, but it's also not like the media (advertisements, magazines) is ever going to change the way they do things, so my question is, why wouldn't this solve the problem of child pregnancy, diseases, and other stuff? And by making it illegal up until your 18, it would just delay the process of finding that one person... And would that be so bad?
How would a law prevent what people want to do anyways? Diseases, pregnancy etc are all results of sex, which kids are going to do whether theres a law against it or not.
Toolgirl, in New York state its not illegal to smoke when you are under 18, it's just illegal to buy them.
Well, let's put it this way - the act of drinking before 21 is illegal. How many people has that stopped?
If we assume that most people actually follow rules and never break any laws, the following things would happen:
+ no children get pregnant before 18
+ more attention for other things, like school, thus
+ more people get a successful career
+ side-effects of break-ups, like shootings, violence against parents, friends etc. will decrease dramatically
Unfortunately, this is based on emotionally stable persons (teenagers), which is nearly impossible, who also never break any laws, a very rare occurance.
Instead you'll see something like this:
+ less children get pregnant before 18
+ attention for other things, like school, won't change much
+ some teenagers are emotionally so unstable that they'll ignore this law, get it on with a girl/guy and start a family at the age of 15/16/17, thus
+ those will totally fail in society
+ side-effects of break-ups, like shootings, violence against parents, friends etc. won't happen as often, but when it happens, it will be much more violent
Problem with a law like this is that it goes right in against the 'goal' of every living being: pass on its genes, so you'll get:
'intelligence'/reason <--> primal instincts
Since by most people, and especially teenagers, the 'primal' side is much stronger, this side will triomf over reason by those.
On those who were already emotionally stable, this law won't have much effect, but on the less stable persons, this will have a diastrous effect. It'll cause them to become outlaws because they can't control their instincts.
Conclusion: this law will have more negative than positive effects, and is therefore not advisable.
+ no children get pregnant before 18
+ more attention for other things, like school, thus
+ more people get a successful career
+ side-effects of break-ups, like shootings, violence against parents, friends etc. will decrease dramatically
Unfortunately, this is based on emotionally stable persons (teenagers), which is nearly impossible, who also never break any laws, a very rare occurance.
Instead you'll see something like this:
+ less children get pregnant before 18
+ attention for other things, like school, won't change much
+ some teenagers are emotionally so unstable that they'll ignore this law, get it on with a girl/guy and start a family at the age of 15/16/17, thus
+ those will totally fail in society
+ side-effects of break-ups, like shootings, violence against parents, friends etc. won't happen as often, but when it happens, it will be much more violent
Problem with a law like this is that it goes right in against the 'goal' of every living being: pass on its genes, so you'll get:
'intelligence'/reason <--> primal instincts
Since by most people, and especially teenagers, the 'primal' side is much stronger, this side will triomf over reason by those.
On those who were already emotionally stable, this law won't have much effect, but on the less stable persons, this will have a diastrous effect. It'll cause them to become outlaws because they can't control their instincts.
Conclusion: this law will have more negative than positive effects, and is therefore not advisable.
are you implying that relationships and dating are the only reasons that teens are messed up? If you were to take away all the guns in the world would the bow not become popular?
Heres another great question: If we were to take away Off-Topic would it keep out the idiots?
Heres another great question: If we were to take away Off-Topic would it keep out the idiots?
yllus
Elite Member & Lifer
- Aug 20, 2000
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<< are you implying that relationships and dating are the only reasons that teens are messed up? >>
That's a rather silly argument to use to try to discount a post. Obviously relationships with their peers, parents, siblings and the opposite sex is a major factor in how 'messed up' kids become. Nobody used the word 'only'.
<< Heres another great question: If we were to take away Off-Topic would it keep out the idiots? >>
No, but it might cull out some of the people who figure on taking everything they read explicitly literally.
Elledan, I agree with much of what you said. If you'd like to take a look at a culture in which dating under the age of eighteen is illegal, try some of the most Islamic countries in the East (for you literal readers - it's not illegal there, just taboo). The air *bleeds* with pent-up sexuality. Men hang around girls' school to leer at the children as they come and go. It's much worse in many ways than Western culture.
I think that is a bad idea. Cause then when kids get to college they would go crazy(not that they already don't).
there are many societies where dating is a strictly controlled and an occasionally restricted activity for adolescents. many of these far out places are theocratic. you can find similar
porhibitions in america among religious orthodox communities, like fundamentalist christians
or jewish haredim.
porhibitions in america among religious orthodox communities, like fundamentalist christians
or jewish haredim.
well, it'll be like those all girl catholic schoolgirls...
once they get out, they become horny as hell and start doing some of the most kinkiest stuff with their boyfriends!...
YUMMY!
once they get out, they become horny as hell and start doing some of the most kinkiest stuff with their boyfriends!...
YUMMY!
It would push it underground. Same thing happens with prostitution. The government bans it and suddenly escort services boom.
If people want to do it, they'll find a way.
Personally I think that dating should be allowed. It teaches people a lot of communication skills that they otherwise wouldn't get. Just watch what happens if a babe talks to a nerd. The nerds usually aren't too confident and have difficulty communicating. This may have been resolved if they dated or at least had female friends (visa versa for all female nerds out there).
Oh and I'm not using nerd as a derogative. If it weren't for them we wouldn't have the society we do today.
If people want to do it, they'll find a way.
Personally I think that dating should be allowed. It teaches people a lot of communication skills that they otherwise wouldn't get. Just watch what happens if a babe talks to a nerd. The nerds usually aren't too confident and have difficulty communicating. This may have been resolved if they dated or at least had female friends (visa versa for all female nerds out there).
Oh and I'm not using nerd as a derogative. If it weren't for them we wouldn't have the society we do today.
StageLeft
No Lifer
- Sep 29, 2000
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I met my fiance when I was 17. ANyway, why should the acts of some moronic teenagers who get knocked up affect the fun of those who are smart enough to listen to whats been pounded into their head for 5 years anyway: Wear a condom you idiots! I have little to no sympathy for somebody who gets pregnant and was not using contraception.
<< ANyway, why should the acts of some moronic teenagers who get knocked up affect the fun of those who are smart enough to listen to whats been pounded into their head for 5 years anyway: Wear a condom you idiots! I have little to no sympathy for somebody who gets pregnant and was not using contraception. >>
Damn right. People like this piss me off in a big way. Why? Becaus emy taxes pay for their mistakes.
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