IF X and Y are sitting in a tree, does that automatically mean they’re K-I-S-S-I-N-G? I’ve heard people being teased this way since I was in kindergarten, but it’s not something I expected to see in the halls of a high school.
Grow up.
We’ve all come a long way from the schoolyard chanting that so many of us are familiar with. At this point, such an immature practice is completely unnecessary and only complicates things further.
“Shipping” is a term that stems from the word “relationship.” Originating from the realm of fanfiction as an expression of the fans’ desires for two fictional characters to be in a romantic relationship, it is now used to advocate for a romantic relationship between any two people in the real world, regardless of whether or not they’re already in one. Statements expressing the hope that two people will get together in this school appear frequently in the comments of social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram; it seems teens have grown accustomed to parading around with their couples of choice stapled to their chests.
However, with so many people sending out ships, one of them is bound to hit an iceberg.
Whether it be the looks friends give when a potential couple walks by, or the inevitable mash-up creation of a couple name, these “ships” can put obstacles in front of a blossoming relationship, leaving it dead in the water.
Peer pressure in this manner can either fill people with fake feelings that are only there because of the neverending mention of the two together, or even cause people to drift apart due to pressure and expectations that are set for them unwillingly. If people walk up to you and begin forcing their opinions on you, are you likely to agree with everything they say? Just because someone constantly pesters you with his ideas doesn’t make you any more likely to believe him.
The intentions behind shipping itself may not be purely negative, as often times people genuinely want a couple to end up together. But if done repeatedly and against the wills of those involved, it becomes more and more obnoxious, and is bound to cause problems in the lives of everyone involved. Let people figure things out themselves. If they wanted a third party involved, then they would ask for one. High school is a place where we should grow; nursery rhymes should be left in the nursery.
