Cuffing is not a season

Don’t let the pressures of social media get to you. Why there is nothing wrong with being single during the holidays.

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Rayna Minix, Staff Writer

Teens spend endless hours of their days, mindlessly scrolling through social media, seeing nothing but post after post of relationships and other teens bragging about how in love they are.These posts drastically increase as fall comes around. The holiday season has taken on a new meaning in the minds of teenagers. It is now officially the peak of “cuffing season.”

Urban Dictionary defines cuffing season as “During the fall and winter months, people who would normally rather be single or promiscuous find themselves alone with the rest of the world, desiring to be ‘cuffed’ or tied down by a serious relationship.”

Yes, I agree, being in a relationship is fun and all. It is exciting and it is new. But is it necessary? Not in the least bit.

Being single is fun. It’s also going to save you quite a few bills around the holiday season, being as though it has become a socially expected to exchange gifts with your significant other, regardless of lack of a personal connection. With social media thriving, individuals are setting the bar pretty high for the rest of us in terms of gifts and date ideas.

Is this entirely a bad thing? Absolutely not. Setting the bar high for a relationship and the person you choose to be in a relationship with is not a bad idea. But when we begin to crave those acts and tangible items over a genuine and simple relationship, that becomes a problem.

Alright, look. The matching Christmas socks, the cutesy “hot chocolate in front of the fireplace” pictures, I get it. Quite a slap in the face when you can’t relate to the overwhelming number of couples taking over social media. But keep in mind, this is simply a platform to manipulate others, including oneself, into believing that there is nothing imperfect about said relationship.

Back to the single life. I truly don’t think you understand how much of the single life you take for granted. You are unreservedly free in your actions and justified in doing so. Of course, there are always going to be people depending on you. Employers, teachers, parents, Why add another to the list? Especially now as you tackle the already present struggles of high school, why force yourself to conform to the irrevocable trap of Cuffing Season?

This Cuffing Season, I hope you are able to enjoy the peaceful solidarity and avoid the pressures of relationships. And to the people that are in relationships? I promise it’s not necessary to post it every five minutes. Sincerely, the rest of us.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the GENESIS staff. Email Rayna Minix at [email protected] .