MANILA TYTANA COLLEGES

FACTORS AFFECTING TEENAGE MILLENNIALS TO ROMANTIC

RELATIONSHIPS

STEM 11-Achelous

Submitted by:

Ford Filomeno
Bea Espeo

Peter Gelera
Lorraine Mora

Aisley Creo

Submitted to:
Ayelynne Duran

Practical Research 1
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I: Introduction

A paradigm shift seemed to happen these past few years in the country at the

emergence of todays brave youth into their almost radical spontaneity. Conventions were

challenged: youngsters as early as 15 participate in political rallies; for the longest time,

the youth has the largest number of votes in the recent national elections; teenagers now

seem to have their own separate community behind the light of their gadgets as they now

call the users of the Internet mostly comprising themselves as netizens; and the

youth of the country now have a more pungent disposition and a stronger worldview.

Teenagers, now known as the millennials (although the term encompasses not only

them), are braver and bolder like never before. Clearly, the status quo was swept off its

feet. Alongside this change, for a reason or two, a major deviance also transpired their

inclination has been geared to personal approaches. The youth has almost suddenly

become relational and philanthropic to many of their causes. With this philanthropy and

humanitarian change, love interests and romantic relationships among these brave

millennials seemed to have crept its way up and placed itself to where it is right now

nearly automatically. It is now common among the youth ages 13-18 years old to have

someone whom they can call boyfriend or girlfriend and, to some, their driving principle

once hooked to it. But the world seems so indifferent to this issue as if deeming mere

infatuation as love was made licit by some dogma the world did not notice, almost

turning their heads away from the fact that love must be for the matured.

Whether you are a parent or an adolescent, it can be difficult to appreciate the

impact of romantic relationship in our youths lives today. Romantic relationships are
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now recognized as the greatest release source of strong emotions in teenagers, simply
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because it accounts as an element that drives their ongoing social development. It is

assumed that their attention often focuses on peer involvement to relationship as a

potential area to explore themselves or encounter things through what they feel like

doing. To expand how relationship has furthered its effect on our youth today, Chapter 1

would tackle about the proximity of romantic influence (from the history of courtship to

the upbringing of the hook up culture) and how inevitable to put restraint and/or self-

control on the excitement of having a partner in our time.

Background of the Study

Early teenage relationships often involve exploring physical intimacy and sexual

feelings. While a perfect relationship might be a major developmental milestone of

change through adolescence, studies on what makes a relationship successful are

everywhere. Over the years, these studies have come up with some trends that help

couples set a long lasting relationship apart from ones that end quickly. With this, it has

been a goal for teenagers to ultimately prove others wrong with what they think are long-

lived relationships.

In 2002, Positive Psychology Ed Diener and Martin Seligman conducted a study

at the University of Illinois on 10% of students with the highest scores recorded on a

survey of personal happiness. They found that the most salient characteristics shared by

students who were very happy and showed the fewest signs of depression were "their

strong ties to friends and family and commitment to spending time with them." With
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every child linked to an interest wherein their attention is challenged to something that
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sustains it, they encounter feelings that later leads towards a deeper capacity to care,

share and develop intimate relationships to his/her environment.

In a study similar to that, the quality of relationships found to avoid loneliness are

people with only one close relationship coupled with a network of other relationships. In

forming a close relationship, it requires a growing amount of "self-disclosure," or a

willingness to reveal ones personal issues and feelings, and without it people with

friends would still be lonely (Jackson, Soderlind & Weiss, 2000, Horesh, Apter, 2006).

Moreover, teenagers respond to a high level of positivity that they would rather put

matter on things that could cultivate their emotions over their minds that support reality

and practicality of what should be prioritized ahead.

The timeline of the cultivation of interest in love was not that noticeable from

year 1990. Falling in love in the '90s was different because you could not message your

way to it, thus, you have to physically present yourself and socialize more often, leading

to a friendly environment not less similar to an intimidating crowd on the 21st. Romance

was its own thing in the '90s. Before you could Google people or stalk them on social

media, relationships began more organically, and our ideas about what made a good or

"perfect" relationship were sometimes different to what they are now (Kat George 2016).

Unsurprisingly, in today's dating scene, romance has been pushed to the side.

Raised in the age of so-called hookup culture, millennials who are reaching an age

where they are starting to think about settling down are subverting the rules of

courtship, The New York Times reported. The constant searching, spending time with a

person, becomes an intimate action for them. Finding out that this does not work out, they
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move on to the next person, leaving a void in both parties, thus, in many cases, failing to
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attain the key to a relationship openness and vulnerability to the partner.

With this at hand, teenagers see this as an opportunity to try and seek the world as

their own. The mere fact that social stability with other people (particularly the opposite

sex) makes them feel good about themselves, drives their life for a boost of self-esteem

and faith among themselves. However, stepping back even further, the inability to

develop a true relationship starts with the inability to define it. Maturity starts in finding

purpose for every action being done, including committing to relationships.

Nowadays, it is believed that there is no right age to start having relationships

from the belief that every child is different, and every family does it differently on their

own way regarding this particular issue. Likewise, the nature of our society today does

not give any judgment for there is nothing to be put at fault as history have written it

through the years to empower its influence.

With this, it has become clear that young romantic relationships warrant much

more attention than they have been traditionally given by their families and friends, now

in search for a different form of agenda. To assist in the possible improvement of

understanding the exploration and development of sexual identity/identity formation

through partnership, researchers have participated in the study of the factors affecting

teenagers to engage in a relationship nowadays. The underlying reasons as to why, this

study will talk about.

Statement of the Problem

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The starting of a topic that seems so ubiquitous and valid in todays world but bona
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fide dangerous in ways underlying to many unaware youths and, to an extent, destructive,

if put in the superlative misuse romantic relationships in the youths was spurred by

many inspirations extending from the elementary catfights to news of jealousy-induced

murder. Stories as to why teenagers engage in this kind of relationship are different from

one another and cannot be reflected through objective rubrics, thus, the philosophies

behind are always subjective, but, the researchers believe that however diverse the

reasons are, all stemmed from a seeming dysfunction that transpired somewhere along

their life prior to this engagement. This deviance may be explained through the

acquisition of the following.

1. Determine how paramount the family background, communication in the home, and

upbringing are to a childs eventual action mainly in the formative years of his identity

and character by the following aspects:

1.1 Social setting

1.2 Separated families

1.3 Family relative care

2. Why has the youth of today, now at their prime, compromised nobler pursuits of

wisdom and searching of the soul just for their jejune infatuation they so call love?

2.1 Aged 13-18

3. Peek at the diverse side of the youth and, through this peek at their perspective,

understand the rationale of their shouts.

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4. Of what importance will the determination of these factors be to a teenagers later life
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and growth as a man?

Significance of the Study

1. Youth ages 13-18 years old

This study is mainly geared for teenagers for them to be aware of what they are

doing and thus, comprehend what a true relationship is. Thus, knowing that forming one

at those ages may lead to an outcome of disarray not only in the relationship, per se, but

in them, as well. Balancing both studies and relationship is hard and nearly a travesty if a

teenager states that he/she can do so. Most youth prioritize relationships than studies

(that, in unfortunate cases, leads to accidental pregnancy) thus, throwing away their

future. This study aims to open the eyes of youth for them not to make mistakes that can

lead them to their lives downhill.

2. Parents

Setting the mood to the innocent points of a teenager during his childhood where

he perceives the world, the problem can be met with answers coming from the very root

of his actions, thus, see the explanation behind all of his acts. This way, properly

addressing the actions, by the guidance of parents, will be in an easy platform so as not to

stir confusion and eventual misunderstandings that may lead to the further destruction of

the teenager. Possible rifts in the relationship of the parent and the youth may be
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inevitably addressed, as this is where the study is headed to the betterment of the
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seemingly broken relationship between the youth and the adult.

3. Teachers

Other than psychology and parenting, this is of utter importance for adults

foreseeing the actions of the new generation. Now that teenagers have not fully reached

their clear understanding of what they are to become, the change in the perspective of

adults to the millennials should not yet lose its hope for their progress as a contributor of

the society. And so in teachers managing the students actions through their control of

giving out knowledge that directs them in life.

4. Researchers

For the benefit of the other researchers who would likely further develop the

study among the factors that affect teenagers to relationships, this can be a source for the

studies related to the background of love interests and why they do engage into such acts.

Scope and Delimitation

The study limits its coverage to teenage millennials aged 13-18 years old in

Metro Manila. The eye of this research focuses on teenagers (now, more popularly and

colloquially, millennials) in Metro Manila, therefore, including the researchers as

participants of the study, as well. Teenagers of today and the environment contributing to

their formation as who they are will be the central point of this study where all arguments

pivot around. Moreover, the researchers will give highlight to the ones specifically in the
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city, in Metro Manila: not necessarily residing in the said place but the ones who have the
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majority of their days transpiring within it, i.e., millennials who study within the city,

teens whose friends are mostly in the city. Therefore, even if a certain teenager lives

somewhere outside Metro Manila but has his/her life happening within it, he/she is still in

the proximity of the possible participants.

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