metro >> jews in the digital age Presents Teen Romanc &Social Media Pop Up Shop Thurs. Oct. 22 thru Sun Oct. 25th Thurs. 10-6 Fri 10-6 Sat. 10-5:30 Sun. 12-4 What are teens up to online? I 6353 Orchard Lake Rd. West Bloomfield, MI 48322 248-851-1260 ORCHARD MAL • WES 00 FIEL ORCHARD LAKE ROAD • NORTH OF MAP ;A4 SHANGRI-LA AUTHENTIC CHINESE CUISINE MIDTOWN 4710 Cass Avenue Detroit, Michigan 48201 UPTOWN 6407 Orchard Lake Road (15 Mile & Orchard Lake) 313.974.7669 248.626.8585 DAILY DIM SUM &SUSHI DAILY DIM SUM uptownshangrl-Ia.com I t wasn't too long ago that teenage only option to correspond with sig- romance meant passing private, nificant others besides sending letters folded notepaper messages in through the mail was the long-distance school classes, writing love letters and phone call. Those expensive telephone mailing them in actual envelopes with bills, however, are a thing of the past. stamps, and waiting your turn to use Today's teens who found love at the family's landline telephone to call youth group conventions, summer the object of your affection. When camps or group trips to Israel have it comes to teenage romance today, social media to maintain these rela- much has changed in a short time. tionships. A recent Pew Research The study found that 59 per- study looks at how digital cent of these teens, including 65 tools and social media percent of boys and 52 percent platforms have been fully of girls, report that social media integrated into American makes them feel more connected teenagers' dating and to what's happening in their romantic practices. As to significant other's life. Almost how this affects the Jewish half of the teens said that social community, Jewish com- media — including Facebook munal leaders who have and other networking sites — Rabbi Ja son long been concerned about Miller offers a place for them to show dating habits of Jewish how much they care about their teens for the sake of Jewish significant other. continuity will be able to learn a lot Half of boys and 37 percent of girls from this study. surveyed said that social media helps More than 1,000 teens in the U.S. them feel emotionally closer to their ages 13 to 17 were surveyed by Pew, significant other and 27 percent of and more than a third of these teens total respondents say social media reported they are currently dating makes them feel jealous or unsure someone or have dated someone in about their relationship. the past. However, only one quarter Much more than half of the teens of them have met a significant other in the Pew survey said that, regardless online. of their relationship history, they have This means that while adult flirted or talked to someone in person Americans are using online dating to let them know they are interested websites, like JDate, to find romantic and half of them have let someone matches, teens are still resorting to tra- know they were interested in them ditional methods for finding romantic romantically by friending them on partners. However, as the Pew study Facebook or another social media site. discovered, these teens are using social Historically, it was much more dif- media at an increasing rate when it ficult for teens to publicly express their comes to flirting, asking out, connect- attraction to another teen; however, as ing and breaking up. social media has grown in popularity Jewish men and women who came with this age group, more teens have of age in the '80s and '90s and were expressed their attraction by liking, involved in Jewish youth group pro- commenting or otherwise interacting grams that extended beyond the Metro with their crush on social media, the Detroit area will remember that the study shows. continued on page 22 20 October 22 • 2015