By Rose DesRochers
Today's Woman Expert Author

The times are changing. I have come to the conclusion that old fashioned dating is a thing of the past; today’s youth have turned to casual and random “hook ups.”

Teens are in such a hurry to grow up. As the mother of a teen daughter, I have seen this first hand and it is frightening. Parents want the best for their children, but how do we protect them from the unhealthy consequences associated with random hook ups.

Excuse me, but ladies you need to have a little self-respect here.

In high school, dating has been replaced with random hookups that in turn result in meaningless relationships. What happened to taking things slow and getting to know one another? Young girls feel a need to have a boyfriend. They are unable to be independent. It is low self-esteem along with a need to feel loved by a male figure that leads girls into these unhealthy relationships.

Unlike when I was a teen dating, young men now no longer need to earn a girls respect. There is no longer any courtship. A young lady meets a young man and the next day there already boyfriend and girlfriend. What happened to the date? What happened to dinner and a movie and the hope for that kiss good night.

I guess I've been "out of the dating scene" for a long time. Courtship appears to be dead. What ever happened to the dating that we knew in high school? Girls need to look at Grandma and Grandpa. They are the reality of true love. Honestly though, the person they’ll be spending the rest of their lives with is most likely not going to be found in grade nine.

They may feel that they’re in love, but it is too early to be thinking of making that boy a life partner. There are many more fish in the sea. Teen girls shouldn’t be in such a rush to grow up. These are the years that they should be enjoying life, because one day they are going to wake up and look back on their teen years with regret. They’ll be thirty-seven years old with sagging breasts and a big behind. They will look in the mirror and say, “goodness what happened?” At that very moment they’ll long for the teen years that are now gone.

It’s okay to have crushes, but girls need to forget the steady relationships and if they do find a boy they like, they need to slow down. Take time to get to know him. Teens need to recognize the consequences of random hook ups and not getting to know a person. According to a poll conducted by NBC News and People Magazine nearly 3 in 10 (27%) thirteen to sixteen year-olds are sexually active. While some teens may realize the consequences of being promiscuous, many teens are not taking the measures to protect themselves. Sadly, random hookups represent today's culture, a culture where courtship is dead.

It's a scary thought, but if courtship is dead, what does this say for the future of marriage? Today’s teens will be tomorrow’s adults. Marriage, here today, gone tomorrow.