Instructor Brese
English 1113
7 October 2008
“Whatever Happened to Teen Romance?” Teenagers in the United States after WWII were starting to get married at young ages and also stated dating at younger ages more seriously. Teenagers in present day are not dating as seriously and it is thought to have a large part to do with the internet and cell phones. Benoit Denziet-Lewis, Author of ‘Whatever Happened to Teen Romance” argues that the internet has a large part to do with why there aren’t serious relationships today. Lewis uses effective pathos and ethos but is ineffective in his use of logos in this article. In the 1960’s and 70’s, high school students used to have “rules” they went by.
Lewis states they are “rules”-boy calls girl, boy asks girl out, boy drives to girls house, boy talks to girls dad, boy takes girl to movies, boy has her home by eleven(or else)-were viewed as restrictive and old-fashioned, not to mention sexist. Lewis states the rules of dating in his article because he is trying to get his readers to agree with his argument. High school students today are less likely to agree with these so called “rules”. “High school is about keeping your options open. Relationships are about closing them” (Lewis 497). Lewis is appealing to the readers emotions by stating that high school is about keeping your options open and that is how most high school students feel. “Being in a relationship just complicates everything” (Brian 497). Not all teens today want to be in relationships. Lewis’ appeal to pathos is effective because the readers are more likely to comprehend what the author is saying and agree with him. Lewis uses effective ethos by quoting others works. Beth Bailey, a professor of American studies at the University of Mexico, points out in her book, that magazine advice columns at the time urged teenagers to keep their options open and most important to appear to be always in demand. In the twentieth century it was also a big deal to be dating many people because it gave you a good social standing in high school. The advice column in senior scholastic, told girls to never to reject any boy outright, because “he may come in handy for an off night.” Girls were getting the impression from these magazines that it wasn’t important to date anyone seriously. That didn’t change until after the war. After the war women began to become scared because there was a shortage in men and many thought they would never marry. So people began to date at younger ages. Then years later came the internet and cell phones and things were going to go back to how they had been before the war. Effective logos are an important part of an argument. Lewis uses some credible sources but most are not and it makes his argument weak. Gay teen are the ones that use the internet to find relationships. Peter Cummings, the editor of XY, states that, “Straight teens have abandoned the rituals of dating, while gay teens have taken them on.” Straight teens on the internet are looking for anything but relationships. Teens who don’t like the way they look also use the internet to try and find people. Then there are teens who use the internet for porn and that’s there reason for not wanting a relationship. They say it is easier to use porn then to deal with the hassle of a relationship. Lynn Ponton, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California at San Francisco, states that “The internet gives teen boys the idea that girls are interchangeable sexual objects at their disposal.” The internet has completely changed the way of dating today. The internet has a large part to do with why there isn’t serious dating anymore. Teens aren’t getting the right idea from the media that they should date seriously. They get the impression that they don’t need to. Teens also think that relationships are so complicated but most of them have not even given it a chance, they go straight for the internet and think it’s easier. So teens don’t take the chance on relationships because they have never been taught what it takes to have one.