The current state of romantic relationships among Japanese elementary school students in recent years has shown an increasing trend of those who are interested in and concerned about the opposite sex at a younger age.
According to the results of a 2017 Ibaraki University Educational Practice study that surveyed 5th and 6th graders at four public elementary schools in the prefecture on “things related to the opposite sex and male-female relationships they like,” 28.6% of all children had experienced male-female relationships, and by grade, 42.9% of 5th graders and 23.8% of 6th graders had experienced The results show that 28.6% of all children have had experience with boys and girls.
Parents who think, “Remembering back to when I was in elementary school, romance is still a long way off,” should grasp the fact that the situation of romance among elementary school students and children’s attitudes themselves are changing.
Source: Ibaraki University’s Study of Educational Practices, “Actual Conditions of Male-Female Relationships in Childhood and Views on Love.
3 Reasons Why Elementary School Students are Falling in Love More and More
This section introduces three reasons for the increase in romance among elementary school students. Knowing the reasons for the increase in romance will help us to detect the changes that are occurring in today’s children.
The reasons for the increase in romance among elementary school students include the influence of manga, the spread of social networking services, and interest in fashion trends.
Influence of manga
The first reason for the increase in romance among elementary school students is the influence of manga. Manga is full of stories in which male-female romance is the main focus.
In particular, there is many girls’ manga that features school romances between junior high and high school students that even elementary school students can easily imagine, and there is also boys’ manga that features heroes protecting heroines or stories that focus on romance. Reading manga, more and more children will be inspired to wonder if they, too, can have a love life like this.
Spread of SNS
The second reason for the increase in romance among elementary school students is the spread of social networking services. As more and more elementary school students have smartphones, the number of elementary school students who are interested in romance through Internet information and SNS, and in some cases, the possibility of getting acquainted with the opposite sex tends to increase.
In the case of SNS, it is easy to get acquainted with the opposite sex by posting photos and daily events. In some cases, keeping in touch through direct mail can lead people to imagine a romantic relationship even if they have not met.
Interest in fashion trends
The third reason for the increase in romance among elementary school students is their interest in fashion trends. Girls, in particular, are very interested in fashion and makeup, even in elementary school.
Fashion magazines for elementary school students will introduce date-oriented coordinates, etc., and this will increase their yearning for romance. In some cases, they may even think, “I want to fall in love, too,” or “I want a boyfriend,” because the magazine may also contain information on love.
Elementary school students also have a tendency to confess their love to someone they like as if it were a game, and they may confess their love and start a relationship as it were.
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