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Monday, June 10, 2013
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The University Daily Kansan
RELATIONSHIPS
Hookups normal, overhyped by college students
Experts and students weigh the pros and cons of hooking up
AMBER KASSELMAN
akasselman@kansan.com
Remember the "Boom Boom Couple?" You know, the two who hooked up at The Hawk during Halloweenend of 2012, and then photos of it spread across the Internet like wildfire? The "Boom Boom Couple" is probably not the first twosome to be found in compromising positions in a college town. The culture of hooking up is everywhere, and it is nothing new.
"It's become the norm for college students because most of them aren't ready for a serious relationship, and that makes dating in the traditional sense unnecessary," said Andrea Lavinthal, co-author of "The Hookup Handbook."
Psychological Association. Laura Stepp, author of "Unhooked: How Young Women Pursue Sex, Delay Love and Lose at Both," defines hooking up as anything from kissing to intercourse.
Hookups are prevalent on college campuses, and so are the variety of options and misinformation about them. They can be fun, but they can also be hurtful.
Between 60 and 80 percent of college students in North America have had a hookup experience, according to "Sexual hook-up culture", a 2013 article published by the American
WHY IT WORKS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
After a hookup, 82 percent of college men and 57 percent of college women were glad they did it, according to "Sexual hook-up culture"
you than it is about the other person. You're figuring out what makes you happy in a partner"
"Most college students are figuring out who they are and who they want to be," Lavinthal said. "It's time for experimentation and exploration, and that extends to their romantic relationships. They can experience being with different people, which is fun and exciting. Hooking up is more about
Emma*<sup>a</sup>, a junior from Shawnee, said she has hooked up with guys whom she thought were cute and enjoyed them because of how she felt while hooking up.
"During a hookup, I feel good, confident, sexy and wanted," Emma said. She has hooked up with about a handful of guys, whom she usually met at parties.
Hookups can be ideal for students because they can still focus the majority of their time on studies, and there is no pressure to settle down. In 2010, the average woman got married at 27 and the average man at 29, which is up from 20 for women and 23 for men in 1960, according to "Barely Half of U.S. Adults Are Married - A Record Low," a 2011 article by the Pew Research Social and Demographic Trends. Both England and Stepp cited this as
a fundamental influence in hooking up as well.
Natalie Scott, a junior from Topeka said she hooks up because it is exciting, yet does not involve anything too complicated.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ERIN BREMEI
"It's just fun to be attracted to
someone," Scott said. "It can be self-affirming, and I don't have to worry about a relationship or baggage."
But hookups are often fueled by alcohol. Sixty-four percent of hookups
SEE HOOKUP PAGE 7