Having a peek to young people’s habit and lifestyle was quite refreshing. Some reminded me of the old days, some I found were enlightening. Especially on the way they conducted their relationship with friends and their special friends. One thing that first came to my mind was how they expressed their feeling to their special friends. When I was a young girl (it is not that long ago actually, hmmm…) it was almost a taboo for a girl to say I love you first.

It was still considered to be boys’ prerogative. But according to a recent survey conducted by Polling Center to young people aged 19 to 22 years old, the norm had changed. Saying I love you first is not boys’ prerogative anymore, girls might say it and it was okay. And they preferred to say I care for you to I love you (according to them the word love was too syrupy. Care was more like it). Wasn’t it sweet?

To tell you the truth, at first I was rather pessimistic with the result of the survey. I thought young people nowadays are radically progressive in term of norms. My perception about them were rather depressing, even prejudice (maybe I saw too much sinetrons in TV). What came across my mind were HIV Aids, too early sexual experience, clubbing, and drugs. But what I found was very far from that. The norms had not gone too far from the day when I was a teenage girl. For example, while we saw teenagers kissing in Indonesian movies everyday, in reality they did not take kiss casually. Even most of the respondent confessed that they did not do it on the first date, usually later when they felt more comfortable too each other. The average was a month after they went steady. And as for dating, they found it most comfortable just walking hand in hand and went to places where they could have dinner rather privately. Rather too old fashion, wasn’t it?

And what was their perception on sex? While sexual activity has been practiced since early adult age by people in more developed countries - or even in most Indonesian movies, it was a relief to know most of the young people we interviewed preferred to wait a while, until there was a marriage license. They liked clubbing, but it was not an activity that they prioritized. They felt they passed that and clubbing was for ABG. So, for those of you who have passed the age of 22 years old but can still be found roaming about from club to club, mind you, do you still consider yourself as ABG or you do you have nothing else to do? (smile) - eky