Are These Teenage Extramarital Affairs Happening in 2018?

[Mely918]

It may have always been happening. We just hear about it more now due to greater technology and use of social media, which allows us to get the latest updates on the world in just a matter of minutes.

[The BookWorm Nagham]

I think that extramarital affairs are as prominent now as they were in the 50s. There's always been relationships (healthy or not) between adults and teenagers. We just hear about it more now due to technological development.

[susanwaweru123+4 2]

yes. Teenage extramarital affairs have risen to a greater percentage nowadays because of lack of parental guidance.

[JR Mercier]

I think it's definitely more a case of it's always happened but now we just hear about it.

[prospero360]

I feel like it has been happening even in the 50's, the only difference is that there are more means of passing information now.

[Carris72]

I believe teenage extramarital affairs is more prominent now than then (1950's scene of the book). I recently read about a young boy who married an old billionaire woman.

Well, that seems quite the opposite of the stereotype.

Considering finances, I certainly feel like the pull to money and material lifestyles are more targeted at youth today than in the past. Maybe this is adding to the appeal of the older lover?

I totally agree with you @NL Hartje

[Carris72]

It was quite common during my college years. Always heard of female students having affairs with male lecturers.

[Brittany J]

I think these affairs have always been happening, but we can more easily find out about them today. I agree with what some others said about these events being swept under the rug in the 1950s. Today they are blasted on social media. I think the repercussions today are worse for the adult and not as bad for the girl. In the past, I feel the young girl would have been shamed, and there wouldn't have been any legal or real societal consequence for the man.

[Helen_Combe]

It may have always been a thing, scandals were hushed up in the 1950s rather than making headline news. So they went undocumented.

[SamSim]

Unfortunately, it has probably always been going on, just not as publicized. In the past, the families involved probably wanted to hide these affairs for the sake of reputation and/or marriageability. I'm certainly no expert, though.

[Kibetious]

I think it is wise to take our cue from King Solomon's words: "there is nothing new under the sun." As to the prevalence of teenage affairs, I can't begin to know the answer, but I agree with many of the other commenters that nowadays the affair is far more likely to be aired publicly, and therefore it appears to happen more often. In the 1950s, Americans were still in the habit of hushing up sexuality of any sort -- especially if the activities proved to be unsavory. An affair might look different today, but fundamentally I believe the issue has been around since the beginning of time.

This is true. There is nothing new happening under the sun. Although the degree may have increased due to factors such as the media platforms that enable them to be known.

[CaitlinGonya]

I don't think its increased but that the public awareness has gone up. I also believe that the stories about girls with teachers is featured more than the ones about teenage boys and their teachers. Not sure if its a society thing and will change as times change. But I definitely don't see it decreasing unless there are some serious changes with how children (and some adults) view their own entitlement.

[KFree_Reads]

Unfortunately, this is not a new phenomenon. The only difference is that it is no longer a taboo and awareness has increased.

[Elle Howard]

I think teenage affairs with adults have always existed. Social media sharing has made it easier to broadcast these relationships to a broader audience. In the past, if the family did not complain, no one knew about the situation.

[ChrisChatfield]

I also think that it has always been a thing. Maybe now there may be more cases of older woman/younger man.