Studies have shown that the quality of our first teenage romances can establish expectations for future relationships.Thinkstock/Getty Images/iStockphoto
When we are teenagers, these long, hot summer days represent freedom. No school, no homework, weeks at camp or the independence of our first job. It’s also a time for first love — and sometimes, the heartbreak that comes with it.
The quality of our first teenage romances can establish expectations for future relationships. A 2018 study found when late teen relationships are supportive, teenagers entered adulthood with better mental health. Conflict-ridden teen relationships, on the other hand, were associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety — even a decade later.
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Dating is much different today than when Gen X or the Boomers were growing up. But young love — the kind that makes you feel butterflies in your stomach — remains the groundwork for the relationships that follow. And the lessons we learn from our first loves in the high school years stay with us and shape our choices and lives into adulthood.
The Globe and Mail would like to hear your own stories of teenage romance, for a future story by happiness reporter Erin Anderssen. Perhaps it’s about the girl you met at camp. Or the boy who summered in your small town. The one who broke your heart. Or the one who still holds your heart today.
What did you learn from that first serious love, or the significant relationships you had in high school? What would you want your teenage self to know now? And what advice would you have for young people today?
Share story in the form below or send us an e-mail at audience@globeandmail.com, with “First love” in the subject line.
What did you learn from your first love?
The quality of our first teenage romances can establish expectations for future relationships. For a future story, we want to hear about your own story of summer love. What did you learn from that first serious love, or the significant relationships you had in high school? Share your story in the form below.
