Senioritis, Perri Feldman

Senioritis

Perri Feldman

Sexuality

Matei Penelea

Sexuality is a term that outlines a person’s identity in relation to the genders they are attracted to. Throughout adolescence, young adults have a very difficult process of discovering themselves and finding out who they are. Once they enter high school, this task becomes even harder. Despite having other friends and people they know with them; they are exposed to new ideas and terms that they might not have been familiar with years before. I know from my own high school experience, I had witnessed more and more people getting into relationships, and showing their affection for each other in the hallways in between classes, either through hand holding, or kissing. With someone young attempting to find themselves, and figure out who they truly are, this could all be very confusing to them. Alongside the rise of puberty and new feelings they might be experiencing, they must juggle their schoolwork, and new social aspects they did not have previously. This could in turn impact how individuals fit in to their friend group. It’s no secret that high school can be a very lonely time for some students, making them feel like they don’t belong due to their sexual orientation or preference, causing confusion and a sense of falsehood. There is also a difference between sexual standards that can be present throughout those formative years (McKinney & Sprecher, 2010). To someone who has little to no experience with sexuality, they can be easily convinced or swayed to abandon their beliefs and views to fit in, or to remain in a relationship with their partner. It is important to keep sexuality in mind when studying adolescence, as it is such a large part of their development. At that age, they start going through puberty, and start having feelings that they might not have felt or experienced beforehand. Many teenagers make their decisions based on these feelings, and the desire to fit in. Maybe their friends are all in relationships, and they decide to go into one to fit in, and not be the odd one out. Nowadays, with such an impressive stride of inclusivity with regards to sexuality and gender, it could be harder for some students to discover themselves and find who they truly are in a high school environment, while others might find it easier. Keeping sexuality in mind when studying adolescence can help us understand how to make this process easier for the young adults. Alongside this, being forced to assimilate to groups that students might not normally associate with and must either hide or ignore who they really are could cause lasting damage and trauma. It could greatly impact their future, and how they see themselves. If individuals spent years of their lives ignoring who they really were, and forced themselves to fit

in with other people, they could feel lost later in their life, and feel like they don’t’ belong once again. It’s important to keep in mind sexuality when studying adolescence, as it provides important insight into their formative years, and helps enlighten the decisions they might have made.

References

McKinney, K., & Sprecher, S. (2010). Sexuality in close relationships. Psychology Press. YouTube. (2020, May 14). Understanding sexuality and sexual orientation for teens (2020). YouTube. Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gPOszo-hNM