Is "Hooking Up" such a bad thing? When we think of our younger generations engaging in casual sex, it seems like it should be. We refuse to acknowledge that our teenagers engage in sex just like we refuse to acknowledge the fact that our parents have sex or that our horny, unneutered dog has just knocked up every bitch in heat in our neighborhood.
If you're in your 40s, 'hooking up' might mean catching a friend downtown for lunch. But to people in their teens or 20s, the phrase often means a casual sexual encounter _ anything from kissing onwards _ with no strings attached.
Now a new book on this not-so-new subject is drawing fire in some quarters for its conclusion: That hookups can be damaging to young women, denying their emotional needs, putting them at risk of depression and even sexually transmitted disease, and making them ill-equipped for real relationships later on.
Is it the hookups that can be damaging or the society that frowns upon women engaging in casual sex the damaging factor? Doesn't this tell you that it's important, now more than ever, to provide frank and honest sex education to our children, instead of candy-coating it with the directive that they should just abstain and that's that? Shouldn't we be providing opportunities for young women to learn more about their potential and find alternative ways to boost their self esteem? There are too many conflicting messages out there for young women, too many images that tell them that their value is based on sex. They should learn that sex is a wonderful thing, but learning how to make your own responsible decisions is even better.
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