Roses are red, violets are blue, confidence is key to getting a boo.

In spirit of the 20’s first Valentine’s Day, girls need to take initiative in their relationships.

From asking someone to a dance or initiating a Snapchat streak, girls often feel the pressure to let the boy lead.

While the 2000’s have been incredibly impactful for women’s rights and gender equality, females still fall short while allowing old fashioned gender roles and social constructs to affect who asks who.

Instagram polls shared that out of 90 teenage girls who attend Ocean Lakes High School, 61 girls would ask out a person they are interested in, and 29 would not, thus proving that to an extent, most girls are not afraid to ask out a boy. Now, it comes down to whether girls are confident enough to shoot their shot. 

Why have girls let society dictate what can and cannot be done when it comes to relationships? Being told what to do becomes easy when it helps prevent possible heartbreak. Girls are easily swayed in the matter because, quite frankly, confessing feelings to another person can be terrifying. The chance that the person being confessed to does not feel the same way or simply does not want a relationship haunts many female minds. 

With their pride on the line, many girls think it will not be worth it in the chance of enduring an embarrassing moment or losing a friendship; however, they fail to consider all that could go right if they took a chance. Various times, couples will have feelings for each other long before they start dating. Simply taking a gamble could bring so much happiness should they find the courage to make the first move.

Remarkable amounts of confidence and bravery can come from taking a stand. Though it can be difficult, ignoring fear and leaving doubts behind gives the chance for a relationship to start.

Allowing these customs to affect how people live their lives keeps society from bettering and improving itself. If these social constructs do not break now, there will be a delay in what so many fight for: true gender equality. Relating something as simple as a girl asking out a boy to the tangled web of impartiality shows exactly how the little things matter. If females continue to let others control even the tiniest of actions, they will forever remain in an undermining position.