Remember that time you were walking in the hallway and all you wanted was to get to class in a timely manner, but a couple couldn’t help but foreshow their love for each other right in your path to class? 

Perhaps it’s just because of Valentine’s Day or maybe they are just comfortable enough in their relationship to showcase it to their peers. Either way, this uncomfortable position they have put you in urges you to think: Why are kids getting into relationships in high school?

In the four years students spend in high school, some people find that starting a relationship isn’t worth their time. 

“I’m a senior, I don’t need to try. I’m going to college in six months. I do not care. Anything that’s here I am leaving behind,” senior Steve Smith** said.

In high school, there can be the common misconception that just because a student is single this means they are lonely or they can’t find someone to date. For Smith**, a high school relationship is not only a waste of time but will also distract him from his religion. 

“I believe it is the only way to show my true and full devotion to my lord and savior,” Smith said. 

Smith finds it easy to put his focus elsewhere rather than strive for a relationship, but the pressure to date in high school can cause students to force themselves into a relationship before they are ready. 

“I think any relationship that makes you feel like you have to change in order to make the other person happy is not a good relationship,” counselor Lori Stackhouse said. 

Being single in high school can be a struggle for students. It’s common for female students to struggle with the pressure of finding a relationship because it’s not uncommon for a female student to be shamed for being single. 

“I think we all spend too much time comparing ourselves to other people. And that might be a negative of being single— that you feel like you must not be worthy of a relationship because you’re not in one,” Stackhouse said. 

While some find high school relationships illogical, other couples feel like their relationship is truly meaningful. 

“I think we understand each other pretty well, so that’s really nice. Sometimes I don’t even have to say something, and he just knows what’s happening,” senior Ava Johnson** said. 

High school couples also face some challenges regarding their relationships, especially if the couple is in different grades. 

Not only can college affect the relationship, but peers and drama can cause issues for these relationships as well. 

“People’s intentions just don’t feel very good in the time that we’re in because everyone is usually looking for something that’s very self-centered and it causes for a lot of drama,” sophomore Emma Williams** said. 

Williams** believes that even though she enjoys her relationship, the drama and lack of maturity in high school can make it feel as if it is not always worth it. 

“I love the relationship I have with him, but it’s almost not worth it because there’s a lot of people that will try to be mean,” Williams said.

For Williams, although the drama surrounding her friend group can be an obstacle in her relationship, it’s one that she’s willing to overcome at the expense of some fake friends. 

So the next time you see an overly excited couple in the hallway, assess how being single isn’t the end of the world. And while some relationships may or may not be worth the time, there are still struggles in and out of high school relationships.

 For anonymity, all names in this story have been changed.