It’s that time of the year people. Cuffing season is upon us and many of us are feeling the extra pressure to get in a relationship. As the days get darker and the air gets colder, is it really necessary to hop into a relationship?

Being in a relationship has its many perks; a cuddle buddy during the cold winter, but it may be seen as overrated as well. Junior Abby Hunt has been in a relationship for over a year and she says it’s one of her greatest high school experiences. “It’s great to have a person you connect with and you know you can count on,” says Abby. She and her boyfriend are virtually best friends and are the definition of highschool sweethearts. Teen counselor, Bryan Funk, believes that it’s very important for teeagers to engage themselves in relationships and learn the “ins and outs” of having a deep connection with a person.

Despite the constant praise and encouragement to be in a relationship, many people think that relationships in high school are overrated and are not something that should be sought after. Another Junior, Rachel Herbst, takes the complete opposite stance. “Relationships in high school are just a bonus not a necessity.” She says that relationships at this level can have lots of negative impacts and in some cases can just cause drama. “People tend to start prioritizing their significant other instead of their friends or their school work and it can just become problematic,” says Rachel. She also addresses that a lot of teens’ wanting to be in a relationship are enforced and encouraged by social media. A girl scrolling through VSCO is bombarded with images of cute couples just adding to that pressure.

So whether you’ve found the one or you’re just settling down for the season, maybe think twice about if a relationship is really want you need at the moment.