Can Relationship Statuses Become Any More Complicated? | Parenting

"Awkward"... Thank Goodness for the Urban Dictionary

Here I am expecting to watch fifteen minutes of this new teen series and then turn off the TV. Once again, though, I am intrigued. "Awkward," the new MTV series, centers around Jenna and her high school friends. They address their insecurities, their confusion about all things involving relationships, and navigating the tricky high school years.

Jenna, the star of the show, wants clarity about her relationship with Matty. She refers to DTR. This is when I google The Urban Dictionary and learn that this is an acronym for Define The Relationship. Jenna wants to know if Matty considers her girlfriend material or simply considers her "a friend with benefits." She finally gets up the courage to address this with him and the relationship is DTRed. Much to Jenna's dismay, Matty does not want to be "together."

Can relationship statuses become any more complicated? Well, yes they can. The next show to come on is "Jersey Shore" and this show answers my question. These older young men are expressing their frustration about young women who become emotionally attached after becoming sexually involved. Oh dear, I think. What a drag for them. They have to consider the emotions of their partners.

This is when I start thinking -- why are the females consistently presented as the ones who get emotionally attached? Research does show that males "fall harder" and sometimes even have a harder time dealing with break-ups. Perhaps the tender feelings of teenage and college-aged boys are represented inaccurately.

As parents and teens what are your thoughts?  How have your sons dealt with relationship disappointments?