What Is The Average Age to Start Dating:  Best Advice for Teens

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What Is The Average Age to Start Dating

As humans, we all have the urge and the drive to look for affection. It’s just something that occurs naturally. 

When did you start dating? Do you even remember? I remember starting to date in my late teens. 

At the time, it was just something that came out naturally. You hit puberty, and all of a sudden, you develop a certain sexual interest in the opposite sex. Not to mention all the hormonal changes that are occurring during your teenage years.

I know the teenage years are pretty rough. This is often the time that most people start dating. Not to mention our pretty strong emotions at the time. 

Our first relationship is always a rollercoaster. We love hard but also ache so hard when it’s over.

Which Is The Most Common Average Age To Start Dating?

I say this slightly varies depending on the society that you’ve grown up in. Those who have grown up in a pretty conservative society should wait a little longer to start dating. 

But there is one common denominator. We start dating in our early teens. It’s a time of exploration and fun. Peer pressure can be, at times, the driving factor here. So I’d say the average age is 17—in our early teens.

When Is It Too Young to Date?

I’d say the age is someone’s early teens or before. Age 11 and below is a no-no. 

However, for young people, the time at which they individually develop romantic interests in one another varies from person to person.

This develops naturally. The urge to seek affection from the opposite sex comes out naturally, and you’ll know it yourself.

5 Things To Avoid While Dating

5 Things To Avoid While Dating
5 Things To Avoid While Dating

1. Coming Out Too Strong

So, what is coming on too strong in your dating life? Someone that is coming too strong has a quickness to commit, is engaged in constant texting, and constant contact, and shows too much eagerness while dating.

From a female perspective, coming out too strong can, sometimes, be scary. It doesn’t feel good. It comes across as something someone should run away from. So if you’re guilty of this, take it easy next time. 

Don’t be too quick to show your emotions and affection. You’ll often make the woman uncomfortable and turn her off. Early on in your relationship, take it easy and you’ll not miss out on the opportunity to meet the woman of your dreams. 

2. Be Original

Don’t put on a fake persona early in your relationship. She’ll find out sooner than later, and you can guess how turned off she’ll be.

It’s often hard to keep the act for long as your relationship progresses. Little by little, you will relax your guard and the real you will come out. 

Don’t bottle up grievances and put on a happy persona when things get bad. Be authentic, tell her how you feel, and see if you can fix the situation.

3. Caution! Don’t Overshare

Oversharing is a huge problem, especially in the early stages of a relationship. According to psychologists, too much frankness hurts relationships and marriages. Too much frankness sometimes ruins your personal space.

Of course, this does not mean that you should always engage in outright lies whenever you are speaking with your partner. Frankness is needed to build trust in the relationship.

However, some information is better left unsaid as it may damage your relationship. Do you have some very bad closets from your past? Why should you share it if you feel that the information may be hurtful and damaging to your relationship?

Some things need to remain secret.

Two teenagers having fun dating
Two teenagers having fun dating

4. Don’t Overly Focus On Her

Overly focusing on the woman that you are dating makes you forget that you have a personal life as well. Not to forget that she has hers as well.

Don’t drop your ambitions and goals and dedicate all your effort and time to chasing her. Make a balancing act. Pursue both your career or hobbies but also dedicate time to yourself.’

Women want their partners to have a separate life apart from the relationship. So, overly focusing on her and neglecting yourself will lead to the opposite effect that you so desire. She’ll lose interest. It’s funny how that works.

5. Don’t Complain About How Dating Sucks

Have you ever been near someone that is always bitching about this, then after that, and so on? It’s draining, right? 

It sucks the energy out of you. 

No one wants to be near a negative person. If you are dating someone, why complain about how dating sucks? Why not just quit it altogether? Always have a positive mindset as you approach every life situation. 

Yes, I know that dating is tough. The rejections and the endless searching are tiring, sometimes even frustrating. However, constant bitching about it, especially to the person that you are dating, will not make it easier for you.

A couple playing UNO at the park
A teenage couple playing UNO at the park

Stages of Teenage Dating

How were your teenage years? Pretty rough, I can assume. With all the hormonal changes that are going on in the body, teens have it rough, especially when it comes to dating. 

One thing I’ll say for sure is that teenage love is pure. It’s strong and real, but it’s also so naive. So what are the stages that teens go through as they are dating?

The crushing phase. Every relationship starts with a crush. No crush, no love. They feel their hearts racing when their crush passes by. There is intense jealousy here, but also so much passion.

“I love you” and the honeymoon phase. Do you remember how much your heart was racing when you told your teen crush how much you loved them? Not to mention the insurmountable courage that it takes here to overcome shyness and reveal your emotions. If she feels the same about you, the honeymoon that follows is a rollercoaster. 

The burnt-out phase. This is the end of the honeymoon phase, and most teen couples break up here. They are now well aware of the other person’s bad habits and are tired of them. The relationship becomes unstable and a breakup occurs. If one side was blindsided by all of this, the heartache is one to never forget.

“Time to find another one” phase. The love cycle is reset and you are back to looking for someone else. The only difference here is that this time, you are a little wiser.

Is 16 a Good Age to Start Dating?

I’d say yes, but not really. But this depends on the type of kid. 16 is too young. You’re a kid then. You have not yet fully figured out yourself, nor have you mastered all the intricacies of the ups and downs of relationships.

But this is the time to learn. Here they will make lots of mistakes, but they will learn from them. Often, relationships here are based on peer pressure and intense lust. They are short-lived but are also fun and a chance for self-exploration.

Conclusion

Our dating experiences are different. The age that you start dating differs from other people. It is a result of many factors, your environment, society, and yourself being among them. I started real dating late in my teens.

Some of my friends -heck- started in their very early teens. I had not yet figured out my sexual side at that time. I assume that this applies to you as well. We are all different, and the age that we start dating slightly differs. However, I’d sum it up by saying that the average age that we start dating is in our late teens.

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AUTHOR

Over the years, Stephanie has had her fair share of dating experiences. While some turned out great, others weren't so great. She believes that relationships are meant to be fun, exciting, and full of laughter. She wants to help men and women become confident, attractive, and successful in their romantic relationships.