Public displays of affection (PDA) are acts of physical intimacy in the view of others. Some may also define it as any touch intended to arouse feelings of love in the giver or the recipient. Couples who hold hands are adorable but when it comes to kissing or touching one another inappropriately that is highly unacceptable and should be done privately. Such displays of affection can set a bad example for children and make others feel uncomfortable. It is argued that public displays of affection are acceptable if it is respectful but people have different opinions of what respect is. And how many people actually know about public displays of affection etiquette?
People like public displays of affection because they think it is pleasurable and they like to brand their partner, basically saying “Stay away.” It also gives women a nice feeling when their partner is showing them off in public by being flirty or kissing them. It gives them a sense of relationship security. Some also say that it depends on how mature you are. When you are younger, you are really into PDA. As you get older, you get more mature and think that public displays of affection are not necessary and it should be done discretely in the privacy of your own home.
In certain instances public displays of affection can project your image in a negative light and may end up getting you a bad reputation. Reputation is everything. Sometimes it’s not about what you know but about who you know. What happens when you need references for a job and those people you ask for the references may have viewed one of your PDA sessions? All those people will think of is you and your partner’s public display of affection and how unprofessional it was. It is also embarrassing for your family because you’re always representing whomever raised you.
You and your partner should keep things professional in public. That will give you a good look. Don’t give people room to negatively judge you and stereotype you in a bad light. What you and your partner do should stay between you and your partner. You wouldn’t invite your coworkers or classmates into your bedroom with you and your partner, so why display public affection in front of them?
Many people argue that PDA shows how much you care about a person. I recollect reading an article where a young lady adamantly stated that she and her fiancé are comfortable in their relationship and that they do not feel the need to share their love with each other so passionately in public where everyone knows they are together. In other words, they are not insecure. They are comfortable with being around each other without displaying inappropriate displays of affection to let other people know they are together. They don’t need relationship security.
Public displays of affection may be cute to some people but what’s the real reason behind it? Studies show that some of the time it is used to make other people jealous, to get public attention or to impress someone else. For example, a woman in the club would make out with a guy hoping to get another guy’s attention. That is a good example of abusing PDA.
In my honest opinion public displays of affection are inappropriate. People say that it is acceptable as long you keep it respectful. But my opinion of respectful may differ completely from yours. To be on the safe side, any public displays of affection should be prohibited. Public displays of affection have made many people feel uncomfortable, set bad examples for children, disrespected many and is used for the wrong reasons. The only good that could come out of public displays of affection is showing your partner that you love them. Is it impossible to show them that you love them privately without making a scene? It is very possible to show your partner that you love them without displaying PDA and making others feel uncomfortable, setting a bad example for children and disrespecting others nearby. Think about it.