Why are students lowering their standards of a relationship just for sex? Are students too lazy to maintain relationships? It is time that we look at the bigger picture. Students need not give up on building strong relationships in exchange for a quick period of comfort.
What has happened to our standards and morals?
Our parents instilled within us morals, values and standards that should travel with us far beyond our parents’ view. And with that, I want to know what comes to mind when you hear someone say they have a “friend with benefits.”
The term ‘friends with benefits’ is often used around campus. According to Wikipedia, it is defined as a relationship that is generally focused on fulfilling sexual needs rather than romantic or emotional ones. This type of relationship effectively gives the people involved an outlet for their sexual urges without the potential stress and time demands of a committed relationship.
Although many people may think that a relationship like this can be fulfilling because the people involved are friends, what people fail to realize is that a “beneficial” relationship is merely physical and lacks any true emotional ties.
When it comes to sex, there is no such thing as sex without emotional ties.
Do students think in order to get close to someone they like, they have to have sex first and then possibly develop a relationship later ? A true relationship is where two people have mutual feelings for one another that go beyond sexual urges. When you physically give yourself to someone, you’re allowing that person to have a piece of you. When they receive that piece of you, feelings will arise.
And in the arena of friends with benefits, there is no room for emotions or feelings. But whether you want to believe it, they will develop anyway.
When boundaries are not set, someone soon gains the interest in the other person and believes a serious relationship is the next step. But the other person may be fine with the current situation
Be careful with whom you decide to share yourself with in your life because they will always have a piece of you. Someone will always end up getting hurt.
We need to be positive examples for our community, and show them that we can have strong stable relationships. And at the same time, students need to focus on education instead relationships. Bottom line, friends with benefits is not as simple as you think. It is just as complex as a true relationship, often resulting in hurt feelings.
Either there is a relationship or not.
Choose one.
Natashia Sutton is a senior public relations student from Panama City. She can be reached at natashia_sutton@excite.com.