A lot of my friends or classmates have a significant other, ie a boyfriend or girlfriend. It's been something that I was aware of since around seventh grade in middle school. I didn't really care. Good for them and all that.
I'm not interested in having a boyfriend (or girlfriend). It's always been in the back of my mind. It's something that I don't necessarily need or want. But I'm a senior this year, and everyone I know has dated someone or is dating someone. Some people have even told me "if you don't get a bf/gf in high school, you haven't lived the full high school experience." Which is preposterous to me, but it kind of got to me. I look around and I see how people are so happy when they find someone they like who likes them back. It got me thinking: why doesn't anyone like me back? Is it because I'm not pretty? Is it because I'm too loud or not feminine enough? The way I dress? Things that never bothered me before started nagging me from time to time.
People on here are probably gonna tell me two things: get a bf/gf yourself or ignore them.
1) Again, I don't necessarily want one. I'm not good at romance. It's too intimate and private for me, and that's not something that sits comfortably with me. Also, I'm focused on school and other extracurriculars. Romance was never part of the plan. That and I'm way too shy to outright ask anyone.
2) I understand that I can just ignore it and go on with my life. I've tried this. I try to look at "where the grass is always greener" side of my life. But the thoughts keeps coming back.
Advice please? Do I just want the intimacy of a relationship? The fact that I can say "oh I used to date blah blah?" How do I just...stop thinking like this?
I know that this sounds quite juvenile and ridiculous, but thank you for your help.

>"if you don't get a bf/gf in high school, you haven't lived the full high school experience."
There is no set of rules for how to have a 'full high school experience' lol, what a bunch of idiots. Get to relationships in your own time.

you dont have to give them a damn reply. it's your life,and the real reason there's a school is for gain a higher education, not for socializing

>>3 they were giving legitimate advice there?
Don't listen to your peers when they tell you how to use your time, focus on work and find a partner when you feel ready

>>1 I didn't get a girlfriend until 2 years after highschool. The relationship ended after a month due to conflicting work schedules, and ghosting on her part.
I have not had a relationship since then and I came to the conclusion that I don't want to date unhappy/depressed people.

Dating in highschool is probably fun, but you don't need to do it. If you only do it because your friends are doing it and you want to fit in, it's probably not a good idea as you could essentially end up toying with your Significant other's feelings and hurting him/ her which is not good in the long run.

In a personal opinion if you dont want to be in a relationship or if youre not ready for one best to just focus on yourself, from my experience some relationship can only create complications so i prefer staying single also.

If you don't want to get into a relationship, then don't. it'll just be uncomfortable for you, and chances are that you'll just end up breaking the other persons heart.

If you don't want a relationship it's fine. I've never had a relationship either and I'm a junior. It's completely fine not to have a girlfriend or boyfriend. If someone doesn't listen to you they're not really your friend. They should respect your wishes.

Boyfriends and girlfriends are seen in the public eye as normal things, and indeed they may seem to some people. In reality though they are kind of overrated. I'm in the same boat as you here being a senior in high school, and in my eyes it's trivial at this point. As hypocritical as this may sound I did have a gf for about six months my junior year. Having had that relationship though, it actually helped me realize though how unnecessary it is in a high school setting. All our relationship devolved into was texting and seeing each other at school, everything a normal friendship should be. We luckily ended on good terms realizing that we weren't interested romantically anymore. High school, in my opinion, is not where you should be looking to find your future companion. In less than a year (being a senior) most of the people you have known the past four years will be gone from your life. You'll move onto bigger and better things that adulthood brings. I would just chill and have fun with the rest of your year!

Forgot to add this on also but I'm sure you're a lovely person ;). High school is a really critical place for teenagers, so don't let whatever other people say influence on how you view yourself. Real life is nothing like high school, be yourself, and someday I'm sure you'll find the perfect person for you :)

actually, when you do not need something, there is not much to think about. if the others have something that you do not have, it's normal that they highlight it, but if you think about it, it's useless to give us weight.

Not sure if this story will help but I feel like sharing anyway. I wanted a girlfriend. It was hard to see my friends happy and paired off, and to be one of the few left alone. But then in junior year I met a girl. She was super cute, funny, and, most important, was interested in me. She even asked me out. Of course I said yes and we started dating. At the same time, however, my life was difficult. Problems with my family and with myself. I was depressed, I had anxiety, and I hated my own emotions and my own way of thinking. It got so bad I almost failed all of my classes that year. And these issues were reflected in my relationship. While we were dating I wasn't a good boyfriend. I was distant, i ignored texts, I didn't show up to dates. I knew I was being a jerk and felt guilty that i was putting her through this. I ended up apologizing and breaking up with her at the same time. Getting a girlfriend made me realize that I wasn't ready for one. I just didn't have to energy to handle both sides of my life at once. After breaking up I focused on fixing my personal and academic life. It was the most difficult experience I have ever gone through, studying constantly and trying to repair my broken relationship with my family AND trying to fix my broken relationship with myself. It took a lot of time and a lot of effort but I managed to change my life. I'm happier than I have ever been now. I don't know if my story will help you at all, but my advice would be not to rush yourself into anything. Take a good long look at who you are and what you want in life. It was only after focusing on myself that I managed to be happy.