The 1920's marked a new era in the way that America and the world thought about sex and sexual encounters. The men and women of the 1920's "created the sexual manners of the twentieth century- (87). The steps taken by the young of the 1920's led too much of the desires and disapproval of dating in society today.
One of the major aspects of relationships today is the art of dating. When people first began casual dating in the 1920's, it "permitted a paired relationship without implying a commitment to marriage- (88). Much like that of today, dating also led to the encouragement of "experimental relations with numerous partners- (88). The attitude toward casual sex did not originate with the young adults of today. The philosophy of casual sex has been passed down through the generations. Much like today, the young people had to draw "distinct boundaries between what was acceptable erotic behavior and what was not- (89). These "boundaries- have been stretched, slightly wider with every passing generation, as the thought of being sexually active is slowly but surely being more and more acceptable. Much like that of today, dating and "messing around- was not a problem until "the rigid boundaries the young imposed on their own behavior were overstepped- (90). What the youth of today would call "fooling around- the youth of the 1920's called "petting-(89). Much like the youth of today, the youth: .
Observed the restrictions on petting in order to remain respectable to peers, but given the occasion and the desire, one could and did per because it was commonly accepted behavior. There was undoubtedly also considerable pressure to pet at least a little in order to remain in good standing in the eyes of peers and to assure that future dates would be forthcoming (90).
It is hard to define the fine line that a teenager must walk in order to keep both their peers and their friends, especially those of the opposite sex, happy.