Celebrating Palentines Day Media affects ideas of love

MOLLY BYRNE staff writer

From when we were young elementary students through our time as high school students, we have all celebrated Valentine’s Day, where people celebrate the feeling of love for their loved ones. For some people, this is a Hallmark card holiday, while others celebrate with gifts or candy. This is the traditional sentiment for Valentine’s Day; however, it is not always the same for everyone. Many choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day by celebrating love for their friends or parents on this day instead of a spouse or partner.

According to Google, “Valentine’s Day, also called Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. In honor of one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, through later folk traditions, has become a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.”

Based on Google’s definition, Valentine’s Day is meant to be spent with loved ones, regardless of the relationship.

It is a day of celebration for the love that one has in their life from anyone.

According to an article by Brittany Bromberg, published in the Odyssey on Oct. 05, 2016, commonly, there is a stigma attached to this holiday that if one isn’t in a romantic relationship, they are unable to celebrate or look pathetic for celebrating without a spouse. However, while traditionally, many spend Feb. 14 with their spouse or significant other, for others, it is a normal day, no celebration or gifts or fancy dinner. Others may want to recognize their families, friends, coworkers, etc. for the support and love they show throughout the year.

Valentine’s Day does not have to be a day that is centered on getting a gift or going to a fancy dinner or scrambling to find a date; instead it may look as simple as a text message telling someone that you love them.

LILY CAMPBELL-LEHTINEN staff writer

According to Google, love is defined as, “a feeling of deep affection for someone.”

However, the real definition of love is under debate due to influence of movies and books that attempt to define for us what love should be.

Mount Elizabeth Hospitals states that “the initial happy feelings of being in love is stimulated by three chemicals in the brain: noradrenaline, which makes our heart race, dopamine aka: the feel good chemical, and phenylethylamine that is released when we are near our crush.” These chemicals are the main reason why people are attracted to one another.

According to Identity, a fashion and lifestyle magazine, books and movies also portray love in an unrealistic way. “Books and movies romanticize the pain associated with loving someone, making us feel like love is painful and that we should carry on with the relationship. But love and pain are two different feelings that have nothing to do with one another. Love is painful sometimes, but it should never be painful all the time,” stated Identity Identity also mentions how, “You shouldn’t make your relationship with your partner the only important thing in your life. You have to allocate time for your career, health, solitude, and your family and friends too.”

STMU Research Scholars also states that young people, in particular, are more affected by movie and film portrayals of love than older generations. “Younger audiences tend to be influenced by romance portrayed in movies, as most of them haven’t had the time to form genuine relationships. They tend to idealize certain relationships and use romance in films and television shows as sort of a guide for how they should live their lives or what choices they should make.”

STMU also notes that younger generations are more vulnerable to being influenced by media and this affects their ability to comprehend what love should look like.