Some Australian teenagers recently decided that having to actually converse with a guy before you give him your number was too much hassle, so they cut out the middle man (their personality?) and just wrote their digits on their backs while at the beach. And in case you were wondering, these teenagers aren’t in the 18-19 bracket. They’re in the 14-15 bracket.
I think young people have a right to sexual experimentation and expression and all that, but the idea of them giving personal information to, essentially, hundreds of strangers makes me uncomfortable. (Although I guess that’s the sole mission of the Internet and chances are these girls have computers.)
Am I being prudish by thinking this was a really bad—not to mention tacky—idea? Also, is there something lost in translation when one girl says “‘We come for both the beaches and the boys, but I’m taken so it’s all good”? She has a boyfriend, but she still wanted to give out her number? I feel so old and confused!
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Comments
I was speaking to a psychologist friend about something similar not too long ago. Her explanation, borne of years of counselling teens and families, is that young teens go through a stage when they simply don’t evaluate risk the same way as adults, or even older teens. She calls it “adolescent stupid.”
These girls are proud of their sexy new curves and impressed by the impact they have on the boys. That’s about as far as the thinking goes for them. Are some of them sexually active? Almost certainly. Do some “hook up” rather than have real relationships? I’m sure they do.
Do they understand the implications of this? Absolutely not. Do they realize they’re endangering themselves? Nope. They’re living in the moment, and in this moment, they feel Sexy and Powerful — and that’s a pretty good feeling.
Are they harming themselves in the long term? That’s much harder to say. As for myself, I’m not comfortable with it at all. They’re playing with stuff they don’t fully understand, and the chances of them being hurt, emotionally and/or physically, are substantial.
October 22nd, 2008 at 1:24 pmIts one thing to be young and stupid and sexually active, and another to write your number on your back – yeah, there is adolescent stupidity, but when I was 14, I knew better than to broadcast my phone number everywhere.
October 22nd, 2008 at 3:16 pmAnd if *my* sister did this, I’d drag her to the showers and scrub her back, while giving her a firm talking to.
some look more like fax machines than cellphones though
October 22nd, 2008 at 5:57 pmI’m not sure if it’s an Australian thing or not, but it has become fashionable of late to put your mobile number on the window of your car under the word “interested?”. I originally thought that it was to advertise the car for sale, however I’ve been informed that it’s really about hooking up. Admittedly most of the ones I’ve seen have been young (18-22) males.
Writing your number on your back is just the next logical step I guess.
October 22nd, 2008 at 6:56 pmIf it’s still socially awkward to make the first move and have a conversation, it’s not a good idea to be sexually active.
October 24th, 2008 at 11:49 pmWhat I find puzzling is how this would actually work. I’m walking down the beach, spy a hot girl with her number on her back, see a few random guys punching the number into their phones. Chances of me doing the same are slim to none. It just doesn’t appeal!
November 9th, 2008 at 12:02 pmAt fourteen i would not even give my name, let alone my contact details to anyone i didn’t know closely, many of my friends were the same at that age.
January 27th, 2009 at 6:02 amThough i really agree with what Ilona says, i think it is just a stage driven by a lack of experience and common sense, and new found vanity and sexuality.
which i think all just adds up to immaturity.
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