Affection should not be exclusive to romantic relationships
Photo by Gigi Downey
D’Andre Jorge (11) and Jayce Jovero (11) dismiss the stigma surrounding male affection as they share a friendly embrace.
May 18, 2019
Many adolescents are driven by a fundamental desire for romantic relationships and have forgotten about a distinct and special type of affection: platonic affection. The idea of platonic affection within a friendship is one many are quick to disregard because of lust or ulterior motives; but platonic affection can create a friendship rooted in deep connections, beyond looks or pleasure, which indicate true appreciation for one another.
“In a platonic relationship, you are able to easily show your friends your love for them and develop deep connections. You can relate to each other and always have each other’s best intentions in mind,” Estephanie Mendez (11) said.
Platonic affection is non-romantic, physical affection. It is often stigmatized as sexual and is especially absent in many male friendships, because it is seen as gay. Although society has made excellent strides in the acceptance of everyone, masculinity has kept many from this basic type of affection.
“I am not affectionate towards my friends, because it’s viewed as a sign of weakness. Men have built a standard within society to maintain a brave and strong demeanor; it would not be fitting to lose that sense of masculinity,” Adam Schwab (11) said.
It has become a habit for people to categorize every aspect of their lives, from the type of music they like to their sexual preference. In a widely categorized world, many have veered away from platonic relationships, and this not only keeps people in a retrogressive bubble but from healthy, platonic relationships.
“In my experience, having a deeply affectionate relationship with a friend is incomparable to so many things. Pure friendship is one of the biggest blessings in life, but they often get overshadowed as sexual relationships through social media and film industries,” Chloe Toper (10) said.
Whether it is because affection is seen as feminine or because love is something people typically only display in their romantic relationships, platonic affection is a form of affection that is being widely unappreciated. Platonic affection within friendships is a place in which love can be shown in its most primal form: touch. It goes beyond presents and gimmicks, and best of all, it’s free. It is something that is easily disregarded not only in the male community, but in society as a whole. Many remain content with high fives and fist bumps while forgetting that a romantic relationship is not the only solution to loneliness. Lust is remarkably glamorized, but lust is not love: lust could never amount to the feeling of being loved, which can be provided by a platonic relationship.
