Dear Dish-It, What's the Point of Dating?

Dish-It answers pueberty problems and a question from the Middle East.
Advice for Teenagers
Dear Dish-It is here to help with all your hot tops - from the really heavy stuff to the totally fluffy. Be it a fight with friends, a rough time dealing with school and the peeps in your class or the big problems like bullying, self-esteem problems, depression and suicide, Dish-It is here for ya. On the fly, she gives great teen dating advice, some deep thoughts on the hot topic of teen sex (cuz all you peeps keep talkin' about it,) flirting, cheaters, friendship, the straight up on boys and boyfriends as well as the real deal on girls and girlfriends. Listen up you guys... if you're jonesin' for that someone fine or crushin' on that super hottie, Dear Dish-It's got the words to make it work. Need advice on love and life, then just start writin' Dish-It.

Dear Dish-It,
There's this girl in my class that keeps making fun of me cuz I don't wear a bra and she does! PLZ HELP ME A.S.A.P!!!!! And another problem is, I like this guy and he likes me but all of his friends keep asking me if were going out. I want them to stop bothering me!!!
SilverDragoness35

Dear SilverDragoness35,
Okay, about your first problem... tell the girl to back off. The fact is that not all girls (or boys) go through pueberty at the exact same moment so some girls are gonna start wearing the big B-R-A sooner than others. But the fact is, it's nothing to brag about either way. Tell her as much. Just look her straight in the eye and say "Why do you care what I wear and what I don't? Do I mean that much to you?" Do it with a straight face and be really serious about it. It'll make her feel stupid and hopefully she'll stop.

As for your second problem - poor you, NOT! If ya like the dude, and he likes you, then why AREN'T you going out? If ya feel like his friends are messing things up or making things uncomfortable because of their constant teasing, ignoring them is the best bet.

Dear Dish-It,
I just wanted to ask a question. I'm not from America or the West. Actually, I'm from the Middle East. Plz don't ignore this message as soon as U read Middle East. The whole "boyfriend/girlfriend" thing is not that popular here, and isn't viewed the same way as in the West. So my question is, and it may seem pretty lame, what exactly is the whole point of the boyfriend/girlfriend thing? It seems pretty pointless to me, really. Crushes, teen pregnancies, thinking you're in love - it doesn't seem like it's that important.
Einstein

Dear Einstein,
Thanks for writing in. First off, I want you to know I would NEVER ignore your question because of where you from! Dish-It is totally into insights and questions from whoever, wherever! Your comments or questions are just as important as anyone else.

Now, for your second question... I guess it's hard to say exactly what the "point" of boyfriends/girlfriends are. Dating has always been a part of North American culture. It's considered a normal part of growing up and becoming an adult. There can be problems like teen pregnancy, yes, but there are problems with every custom (everywhere)in some way or another. I personally think it is an important part of your emotional development to date and have boyfriends or girlfriends. It helps you learn to interact with others, express your feelings, develop a sense of what you want or don't want in a mate's personality, etc. I hope that answers your questions.

So gotta burnin' question? Need some love directions? Thinkin' about stuff like teen suicide, depression and just feelin' bad, sex, low self-esteem, boys and boyfriends, girls and girlfriends, losing old friends, bullying or peer pressure but too scared to ask the 'rents? Don't be scared to Dish-It. Just remember, if you hang out in chat with other Kidzworld members who know you by your nick, you might wanna use a secret nick when you write in. That way no one will ever know it's you. Remember though, Dish-It gets tons of letters a day - she'll definitely answer ya, but it may take a bit. Thanks! Got some words of wisdom you wanna share? We'll dish them up too.

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