THE term ‘hookup’ first appeared in 1993 in a New York Times article titled ‘On Language: Stud Muffin’s Buzz-Kill.’ The article clarified that ‘hookup’ did not stand for a romantic involvement; it was used primarily to mean ‘get some’ or ‘make out.’
However, in America, ‘hookup’ is used as a romantic slang used by a prostitute in pairing up or to highlight the casualness of the situation and the tendency for the encounter to be with someone they are not in a relationship with.
Moreso, a survey of 2,000 Americans looked at their preferences when it comes to casual relationships and found that the average respondent had most of their ‘hookup’ sprees at the age of 27.
However, today ‘hookup’ has become a trend among the youth, especially female ones who engage themselves in illicit sexual relationships in a bid to make money.
Under the guise of schooling or holidays, some of these so-called students would rather choose to engage in hookup activities rather than to return home and be under their parents’ watchful eye or engaging in other meaningful activities. Some would even leave home for school earlier than the resumption date in order to explore their sexuality more freely through hookups.
Some of the female students who engage in hookup while in school have given different reasons why they do so; ranging from physical gratification to fulfilling emotional and material needs. Coping with material needs is top on the list.
Meanwhile, some have claimed that in this time and age, hookup is needed for social connection, sexual exploration, intimacy and fun or entertainment. But all of these for me are not tenable enough to use one’s body in exchange for material gains.
Most times, they fall victim of money ritual murderers, who many times hide under the guise of hookup deals to draw them into their traps. There are different stories of girls who have fallen victim of untimely deaths through this.
The rate at which young girls get into hookups has reached an alarming state and this calls for a serious concern in our society. There should be a drastic move toward arresting the situation by putting an end to these evil among the youth before things get out of hand.
I want to suggest that there should be a law against it that will attract a penalty or sanction such as a hefty fine or even a jail term.
Also, government should endeavour to address the issue of unemployment among the youth, while special attention should be given to females, who are most times the victims of hookups.
- Rodiyat Saheed, Ibadan
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