Teachers must remove all marriage/wedding scenes from elementary programs. If a play requires two children to act as friends, keep dialogue focused on sharing, helping, or playing – not romance.
Walk into any Filipino teleserye or browse Wattpad's popular "Bad Boy" stories, and you'll find this trope thriving. Consider the archetypal plot:
A 17-year-old barrio lass falls for a 30-something city executive. He calls her "mature for her age." He isolates her from friends who warn her. When she hesitates, he says, "Hindi mo ba ako mahal?" (Don't you love me?).
These narratives often frame the older partner as tragically flawed—a broken soul seeking redemption through the pure, naive love of a younger person. The manipulation is repackaged as intensity. The lying is reframed as "protecting her from the truth."
Even in less extreme cases, the trope appears in: inuto ang batang pinsan sex scandal pinoy3gp
Traditional romance sells the idea that finding the right person solves everything. In medias res storytelling argues the opposite: that even the right person requires constant, painful negotiation. This is not cynical; it is hopeful. It suggests that love is a verb, not a noun.
For decades, the blueprint for on-screen romance was sacred and predictable: Boy meets Girl (or any variation thereof), they clash, they bond, they lose each other, they reunite. We call this the "arc." But a quieter, more disruptive revolution has been taking place in streaming series and literary fiction—the in medias res relationship.
Translated from Latin, in medias res means "into the middle of things." While classically used for epic plots (think The Odyssey starting during a shipwreck), its application to romance is proving to be one of the most mature, challenging, and rewarding storytelling devices of the last decade.
Instead of watching two people fall into love, we are now watching them navigate the messy, unglamorous maintenance of it. A 17-year-old barrio lass falls for a 30-something
Licensed child psychologist Dr. Leticia S. Mercado, who practices in Quezon City, identifies six long-term harms:
If these relationships involve deception, why do readers flock to them? The psychology is fascinating.
The Nostalgia for Naivete Most adults remember their first heartbreak. We remember the moment we realized that the older person we had a crush on was just using us for attention, or that the "secret relationship" wasn't romantic—it was predatory. "Inuto ang Batang" storylines permit readers to revisit that pain in a safe, fictional space. It validates the trauma of being young and fooled.
The Catharsis of Justice Audiences love these stories because they usually end with the "Batang" growing a spine. The storyline transforms from a romance into a revenge or self-discovery thriller. The moment the child becomes the adult and confronts their manipulator is one of the most satisfying tropes in literature. These narratives often frame the older partner as
Social Commentary In many cultures (including the Filipino context, given the Tagalog phrasing), there is a silent epidemic of "puppy love" where older teenagers or young adults take advantage of school-aged children. These storylines serve as cautionary tales, warning young readers about "love bombing" and emotional gaslighting.
Beyond face-to-face teasing, the media landscape is full of manufactured romantic storylines involving child characters. Disney Channel, GMA’s youth-oriented shows, and even viral TikTok skits often feature:
When children are "inuto" through media storylines, they learn that their worth is tied to having a romantic partner – even before they understand what romance means.
If a child says, "I don't like him/her," do not laugh or say, "You'll change your mind." Respond: "Thank you for telling me. No one can force you to like anyone. That is a very smart thing to know."