Apparently teenagers hug each-other a lot. Obviously this is a very disturbing trend.

This New York Times article is almost surreal. Apparently, teenagers are much more inclined to hug each-other than ever before. Parents and teachers have no clue why, and are freaked out:

• "Touching and physical contact is very dangerous territory," said Noreen Hajinlian, the principal of George G. White School.
• "No hi, no smile, no wave, no high-five — just the hug. Witnessing this interaction always makes me feel like I am a tourist in a country where I do not know the customs and cannot speak the language."
• "'Maybe it’s because all these kids do is text and go on Facebook so they don’t even have human contact anymore,' said Dona Eichner, the mother of freshman and junior girls at the high school in Montvale.

But the article finally wraps up with:

"But Carrie Osbourne, a sixth-grade teacher at Claire Lilienthal Alternative School, said hugging was a powerful and positive sign that children are inclined to nurture one another, breaking down barriers. 'And it gets to that core that every person wants to feel cared for, regardless of your age or how cool you are or how cool you think you are,' she said."

It's as though suddenly peace broke out all over earth, humanity became enlightened, and an entire generation of people grew up to show kind affection for one-another. Perhaps it won't surprise everyone that schools want to ban hugging. Thanks, Carrie Osbourne, for believing in humanity :)