design: Cris Ropero Montoya
At some point or another every high schooler has been walking down the halls to their next class when they notice that one couple who seems too always be a little too close.
PDA, or public displays of affection, are generally agreed on as social faux pas, but this does not seem to dissuade many couples. PDA unfortunately seems to be more common in high schools compared to other public places.
Couples who engage in PDA are incredibly selfish, they fail to sympathize with people around them who are forced to witness their repulsive acts. These are usually the same couples who stand in the center of the hallway talking while everyone else must walk around them. They are a distraction to themselves and other students. Not to mention how off-putting seeing two teenagers making out at 8 a.m. is. Even worse are the couples who occupy their time during lunch engaging in PDA, that is the last thing people want to see while they are trying to have their meals.
PDA is also embarrassing to the people involved; everyone notices, even when you are trying to be discrete. While the likes of Pete Davidson, MGK and Meghan Fox are all seen engaging in PDA, students need to realize they are not celebrities.
PDA seems to be a more prominent issue among underclassmen. Freshman couples engaging in PDA will most definitely regret it when they are older and further into high school, and I can guarantee many people who witness PDA are mocking those involved. Couples seem to be in their own world, completely oblivious to all the stray looks thrown their way from bystanders. Despite this they should try to stop and think, do I really want my classmates and teachers to be seeing this?
Although PDA is only considered taboo in public, at school it can very well be punished. The OLSD high school student handbook states, “Students shall refrain from displays of affection. Students are not to hold hands, hug, kiss or demonstrate other similar acts of affection.” Engaging in PDA can lead to disciplinary action, do you want your parents to get a call from school about that? That would be an awkward conversation to have.
No one wants to see a couple engaging in PDA, most students are just trying to get to class when the nuisance that is PDA is involuntarily imposed on them. At the end of the day, it’s embarrassing and frankly just gross. Is it really that hard to just wait until you get home?
