“Cuffing season” is the media’s way of over exploiting the fact that people become lonely during the holidays and crave a relationship and connection. Don’t get me wrong—human interaction is necessary. However, the extent to which people are pressured in order to fit this trend is overwhelming. A relationship should not center around the changing of seasons, but rather around maturity and one’s own timeline.

When the media bombards us teens with examples of things such as “relationship goals”and “VSCO couples,” it’s a natural reaction to feel left out and lonely, especially the targeted teenagers. A high school relationship has become a staple of almost every teen movie: the nerd falls for the shallow popular kid, and somehow by the end of the movie they’re together and happier than they’ve ever been. Gag.

Plenty of people start talking and possibly getting into relationships in high school, but rarely do they ever last. I’m not saying it’s hopeless; however, it should not be a top priority. On top of the pressures from society and the media, there’s pressure from peers. Just because it gets chilly, Christmas decorations appear, and cranberry sauce goes on sale, doesn’t mean you automatically need to get into a committed relationship. It’s high school, your life isn’t supposed to be centered around one person.

This is a time to explore and meet many different groups and discover who you are. A relationship interferes with that: why would I want to be in a pigeon hole when there are so many other priorities that should have my focus? Think about how much energy goes into a relationship, quite frankly it’s exhausting, especially when being a high school student is stressful enough.

Ultimately, relationships in high school and the pressure of “cuffing season” are a distraction. Not only does it interfere with studies, but it gets in the way of new friendships. To that point friends can be beneficial as well, maybe even more. Overall the media, especially social media, needs to cut it out with influencing young adults with the idea that relationships are essential to having a good high school experience. So maybe “cuffing season” is appealing for the holidays and wanting to be surrounded by those who love you, give gifts, and laugh, but seriously maybe commit to taking care of a fish before you commit to a person, especially as a high schooler.