Public display of affection, better known as PDA, is a word present amongst middle schoolers, high schoolers, college students and adults. PDA can sometimes be cute, such as holding hands or a quick peck on the cheek or forehead to say goodbye. However, that is not what many people think of when they hear the word PDA. When people see others making out in the middle of a public place or sitting on each other’s laps, the idea of cute PDA becomes ruined.
Cute PDA should continue to thrive, allowing middle schoolers and highschoolers to see that all relationships can be romantic at any age. However, inappropriate PDA, the type where others have to turn their heads, should not be acceptable within society.
It is becoming more prevalent through the years as people push the mindset of “mind your own business” onto other people. PDA becomes everyone’s issue when couples decide to make public places into their own private spots to act inappropriately. When accidentally stumbling upon PDA, what do you do? Do you walk around the couple, cross the street to avoid the couple or down right just turn around? This is a difficult question because not many people dare discuss the topic of public decency anymore, since it is such a fine line. The “mind your own business” motto works for so many things, such as pajamas in public, dogs in strollers or extravagant clothes. However, none of these things affect anyone walking by or sitting next to them. Body odor, yelling while talking, walking slowly or inappropriate PDA are great examples of disruptions to society.
It is incredibly popular in high school, as teenage couples take advantage of the hallways and empty rooms, to which they are confined to for long hours of the day. It has even started in middle school recently, where kids are seeing affection that they should not be exposed to yet and imitating it. Again, people should be able to act as they please, but should they not think about others as well as themselves?
The line between appropriate and inappropriate PDA is incredibly fine. People should be allowed to show affection in public, as it is normal to show the love one might feel for another person. Love is an important part of society and ultimately a natural human emotion that should not be suppressed. However, there is a way to display it in an appropriate way that will not cause a stir amongst the general public. Even famous people show PDA with their partners time and time again. PDA does not automatically have to be a terrible thing, but that is slowly becoming the case. This should not start becoming normal in our society. Nothing is worse than going out to enjoy food at a restaurant and seeing a couple sitting on top of each other. Yes, it can be really cute and seen as incredibly romantic, inside their own home, but people should know when enough is enough.
