Friday, February 10, 2012

Tweens Date By Text

We were fascinated by an article in this week's Wall Street Journal about the dating habits of tweens. Apparently entire relationships start, live and end via text message - and it's not an isolated occurrence: half of the older tweens surveyed (ages 11 to 14) say they've had a dating relationship. The few dozen tweens we spoke to this week confirmed the study findings: that this trend is a norm in their schools. One girl said, "Girls in my school do this to say they're in a relationship, but they never actually go anywhere."

While exploring dating is a cultural norm in middle school, MsTwixt does wish that the 1950's notion that having a boyfriend somehow validates a girl's worth would get with the times already.

Do you know if your tween "dates"? And if so, does s/he have a virtual or in-person relationship? Given that texting often figures in tween relationships of any kind, do you monitor your tween's texts? One tip: have all family members dock their phones at bedtime in a central location in your house - it will cut down tremendously on the late-night text sessions and mean more shut-eye for your kid. For other tips on developing a family technology policy, view our Women in Media interview here.

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dating is fun.
Courting someone through text is not a nice idea.

african woman said...

Nice tips! I will surely apply this to my two lovely daughters. I guess I haven't figured out yet that they started dating but if I do I will not scold them instead I will teach and guide them about the advantages and disadvantages of having a boyfriend at early stage.

When it comes to texting well I allow my kids to do that but not to the extend that they will sleep late.

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