By: Hadlee Larsen, Gracee Ableman Journalists
What does wearing the pants in the relationship mean to our generation and does that extend past the boundaries of highschool into places like college? It’s a common thing to hear that, in the worlds of today’s teenagers, the girl will “wear the pants” in a relationship. This includes making the first move and planning the dates with their partner. Is it true for this to be the case in our world of young adults, or is it just a myth?
“Wearing the pants” in the relationship can mean a lot of different things: from being in control entirely, or simply just being the more confident and outgoing partner. The partner who wears the pants might be making more of the big decisions and pace the relationship, like when you’re officially dating and other important moments.
Aside from the typical stereotype that the guy should be the one to make the first move, senior Bri Painter states, “I’m usually not interested in people that make the first move on me. I feel like it means more when I make the first move on someone, cause I’m like ‘I actually like you. I’m actually gonna put time into you.’ But, when someone makes the first move on me, I’m like, ‘Why?’” Girls may like to make the first move simply because it means more to them and they actually care about having something more with the person.
Kyela Scoffield, a sophomore, differs in opinion, saying, “I feel like it’s less awkward if they do it instead of you.” Numerous girls have stated they prefer for the guy to make the first move, but nowadays it seems more common for the girl to walk up to the guy and initiate interest first. But, why is this?
Sophomore Noah Tracy, says, “They’re more educated and smarter than men,” when explaining why he thinks girls wear pants more nowadays. He also explains that he tends to not make the first move because, “I think I’m gonna mess up so then I’m like, ‘Ah, no, scary.’” Guys can be equally just as nervous and scared to make the first move towards someone of interest as girls are, but that may be changing. Is there another factor that serves as an influence for girls to become more outgoing in today’s world when it comes to relationships?
Everyday romance movies and books play a big role in this. Girls are typically more known for watching and reading about romance in teenage lives such as Twilight, Ginny And Georgia, High School Musical, and many more. Without even realizing it, these can naturally raise those expectations for girls when they are exposed to these “perfect” love stories and want to apply it to their own lives. On the opposing side, it may also lead to the lowering of expectations so they can find someone more easily to experience that long-awaited dream of highschool romance.
Overall, these false expectations have caused the female teenage eye to start looking wherever they can to have a perfect romance. This causes them to put themselves out there and become the partner to wear the pants. Though it’s not always the case, it seems to be a lot more common lately, opposing the common belief that the role of the pants should be filled by a man.
From dreaming to experiencing, high school relationships are different for everyone. Aside from how your relationship may have started or what your expectations are for one, your opinions and thoughts are always valid. High school— and even college can be a time to create new experiences and better develop who you are or who you want to be. Never stop having meaningful experiences and exploring the possibilities. You never know how many fish are in the sea.
