Knowing when to break up varies in different relationships. When talking about teen couples there are many different signifiers. From my experience, high school relationships do not last for a few reasons:

1. They couple gets bored of each other.
2. Someone cheats, or is suspected of cheating (creating a ripple affect of fights, arguments).
3. Someone feels restricted and unhappy.

One reason couples may become bored with each other is because their relationship is based solely off of their sexual attraction to each other. Physical relationships often deteriorate due to repetitive activity with the same partner. One must learn to develop an emotional relationship with a partner in order to keep a relationship strong. Being in high school means meeting a lot of kids and having many opportunities to “hook up” but actually dating someone is a commitment that many don’t fully understand. Often people want to have sex or experiment so they start dating someone in order to explore…what they don’t understand is the full meaning of the commitment they’re in, so they soon break-up due to a lack of trust or interest beyond being physical.

Facebook in some ways can make breaking up easier but in some ways more difficult. It can make the process easier because one can take out the emotional, face-to-face contact aspect and use Facebook to dump their partner in an impersonal way. Unfortunately, once the partner is dumped and they change their Facebook status, people will comment or ask for the story and that makes things more messy. I know many relationships where partners text and use Facebook more than they talk face-to-face; these types of relationships inevitably fail because, despite the “constant connection” of the couple, there’s really no substance to the connection.

I have never had a girlfriend, but instead I have stayed single for most of high school. One thing that I can say is that currently, I want a stable relationship where I can relax, enjoy school for my last year, and become emotionally close to someone that I can trust. Being single for all of high school wasn’t bad, but I think that having a partner is important and can help you get through the hardest of times (junior year/first semester senior year). The deal is, don’t get into a relationship that you’re not ready for. Don’t push things and don’t rush, “good things come to those who wait,” and to those that understand that everything good comes with time.

Do you agree with Yoni? Tell us in the comments!

Yoni is a sixteen-year-old high school student from Washington, DC who enjoys long walks on the beach and loves Tosh.0. Got a question for Yoni? Email us!