Here are your comments:

"I think the age a teen-ager should be allowed to date depends mainly on the teen and the parents. I know I am a 14-year-old girl, but I'm smart and responsible enough to hold and respect my parents' trust, so they are allowing me to date now. However, I know of some kids who shouldn't be allowed to date for another couple of years. It completely depends upon how mature the teen is." S.Y.

"I don't think that there should be an "age" for dating. Parents spend too much time worrying about things like this. I'm not saying that this is not an important issue, but it is not something to lose sleep over. If you are a loving, caring, understanding, empathetic parent, who has taught your child good morals and ethics, then it shouln't be an issue, because you won't be faced with a 13-year-old who wants to date an 18-year-old. Things like that only happen on Sally Jesse Raphael. Folks, bottom line is be COOL, set limits, but don't set laws!" W.S.

"Looking at the survey results so far(on Tuesday, April 1), I must say that I think it is outrageous that the majority of respondents chose thirteen as an appropriate age to date. Hopefully, they are referring to group dating, as in going out with a mixed group of both girls and boys. I think thirteen-year-olds, despite what they themselves might think, are not capable of handling all aspects that come along with dating. Suprising as it may be, I am only twenty-two years old, and it is not only the "older" generations that feel the same as I do." T.S.A.
Editor's Note: The first few hours the survey was up, 13 was getting the most votes.

"I think that teenagers should date in groups when they're 15 or 16 because it's safer and the parents don't have to worry as much. I myself am 18 and still feel that going in a group is better because it's much safer for me and I'm more comfortable with who I'm with. But I will say that if the parents feel that their child is ready to date alone ... or responsible enough to date alone ... then it's their decision." S.C.

"In my opinion, kids don't need to worry about this until they get high school over with. The kids should have their minds on school so we could see our children go to college and our children could be smarter then other children in other countries. I think kids think too much about sex and dating ... little girls are wearing make to school in 2nd and 3rd grades, what happen to kids just having fun being kids?" J.H.

"I think that as long as the child is comfortable with the relationship, then they should be able to date at any age that they'd like to. I mean how many 13-year-old relationships ever get serious or last for more than a couple months at the most?" L.L.

"I selected 15 as a starting age for dating for a number of reasons. First of all, I am assuming (dangerously) that the teen is mature enough and the parent(s) have had talks about responsible behavior.

1. At 15, the teen is already in high shool and is given a wide choice of social activities. Dating should go along with learning about choices we all have to make.
2. If the teens are under 16, parents would need to be involved in transporting them to different locations. Meeting the parent of your son/daughter's date is a good way to keep the relationship boundries established, for example ... which activities are appropriate, being supervised at home, curfew times, etc.
3. The pressure to be in a sexual relationship increases with age. I wouldn't want my teen having to learn how to date, sort out their identity, deal with peer pressure, and feel like rebelling against their parents all at once!

"People should be able to date whenever they feel they're ready. I don't think people should have to wait until a certain age. They should be able to date as early as 12 years old, as long as the person they're dating is close to the same age." L.P.

"I like the idea of a survey. I'm only thirteen myself. I gave this survey some thought. In my opinion teen-agers can be mature enough to know what is exceptable for their age and what is not. Mainly I feel the parents should be the judge of this. Some teens are not mature enough to date. The truth of the matter is that teens will date if they really want to. Wouldn't you at least like to know where and what your child is really doing? I hope that some people listen to my advice." G.R.

"The way I see it is if you should be responsible enough to drive a car you should be responsible enough to date." S.M.C.

"Dating is relative ... is the teen mature enough ? Is there a group going out? Some kids need a chaperone. Some kids are shy and should be encouraged to socialize. "Going Steady" is a whole other issue. "Dating" really has so many facets and cannot be answered by choosing one age. J.B.

"I am a 14-year-old girl. I am in a relationship with a kid. I have had six boyfriends in my life ... SO FAR! If I get that out of the way now ... I probably won't be single when I'm 30 or 40. I think that when you are ready to date, you will know it ... and you should just go with the flow ... BUT DON'T LET IT GO TOO FAR! You also do nto want to mess up your life by having a baby too early. SO if you are responsible, you should know when and who to date. D.C.

"I have two daughters, ages nine and four. The idea of them ever dating scares the heck out of me ;)
"As long as "dating" means the same as it used to, (movies, etc.) I really don't have a problem with starting at thirteen. I would expect that my kids would know what is appropriate for their age group. If they do not, then I have not done my job as a parent." G.W.

"I belive that a teenager should be able to date at age 14 if he or she shows responsibility and their parents can trust them. I know this first hand cause I am a teen-ager and have gone through this before and I am still trying to get my parents to let me date even though I am 15." J.H.

"To all those who answered "eighteen" -- ARE YOU SERIOUS!?! J.A.

"I hope that the young people will not date until they are old enough to know the responsiblities of dating. Young teens may be book-smart today, but naive about the real world. Dating, like to a prom at 17 years old, is soon enough. They must be made aware of their raging hormones and learn to control them. Magazines and the media have made dating look sexy but it is not the real world." A concerned grandmother

"There shouldn't be an age when someone is allowed to date. A person should date when they are ready to date, not when someone says they are allowed to." S.K. (16)

"While I agree with many churches that 16 is the optimum age to begin dating, there could be exceptions based upon how long they have known each other, knowing the other child's family and how responsible and trustworthy the children in question are." K.F.

"I'm glad you're doing this survey. 16 is definitely the best age to start dating! I'm not surprised to see that 16 is the highest percentage. It's a good thing it is." O.H.R.N.

"I am 13 years old and I think I should be able to date. I think it all depends (on) if you can trust the teen-ager or not. If they are 15 and so immature then, no, they shouldn't be allowed to go out on dates, but responsible teen-agers should. I am 13 years old, I get good grades, I am responsible and trustworthy. My sister is 15 and can't even go around the block without going to meet some boy on the way. Who would you trust more, me or her?" R.H.

"I have a 13-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son. My husband and I have had long, thoughtful conversations with our children and we feel that it's much more fun to have friends of the opposite sex at this age than to deal with the pressures of dating. We all agree that dating can begin at around age 15, if the child feels ready and only after we have gotten to know the child AND their parents. We believe that parents have an important role in the dating scene and the families should have similar views on morals, and limitations set, as well as involvement with the children. You cannot have a blind eye when you are dealing with teen-agers and they need to know that." K.A.P.

"I am 14 years old, soon to be 15. For anyone out there who knows what it's like to feel special, listen to what I have to say. My boyfriend is 16, almost 17, and he has had a lot of girlfriends. He is also a lot more experienced then I am but what makes out relationship so special is that we both care about each other and when you're having family trouble or even friend trouble it's nice to know that that "special" someone is out there. I think anyone who is old enough to make friends and is trustworthy should be able to enjoy the feeling of being loved by someone other than your friends and family at any age. In today's society there is a lot of racism, hate, and misunderstandings, why wait until you're at the age of 40 to find someone you care about when 20 years ago you could have already been sharing your life with someone. I'm not going to pick an age because the only people who know when they are ready to date are the people who make the attempt to do it. Life is too short, why miss out on such all the wonderful feelings you get when you fall in love." J.S.

"I do not think it fair to judge people by their age. Parents should establish rules and regulations, and should allow their teen-agers to begin dating when they have proven themselves to be mature enough, responsible enough, and restrained enough to handle dating. They should be familiar with what is and is not appropriate behavior for themselves and their date, and should be aware that there are indeed risks to dating, as well as enjoyment. If anyone needs ideas on how to handle teenage dating, there are many social services available. Also, for a more enjoyable approach, try watching "7th Heaven" on the WB channel Sundays and Mondays with your children. This show teaches many lessons, including the dos and don'ts of dating, and is the best show on TV." H.L.B.

"To the people who wrote in that 13-year-olds dating 18-year-olds only happens on talk shows, to the people who believe this doesn't happen regularly -- you need to wake up!! Young women commonly date men much older then them - older men (boys) often pursue young women because of the control factor. Thirteen- and 14-year-olds are easily infatuated with 18 and 19 (or older) men just because they are older and become easy targets for men with the need to control. Having a background in adolescent behavior (working with teens) -- I have witnessed this time and time again!! I do not believe that one answer to this question fits all but I tell parents to PAY ATTENTION!! And I too feel that when you are old enough to drive -- and get yourself away from any situation -- then you are safer on the dating seen. Group dating is safest and much more fun!" A.R.J.

"I wasn't allowed to date until I was 16 years old ... even though I did at 15, I had to sneak behind my parents back. I dated my best friends brother and he was 18 at the time. BIG MISTAKE. It lasted about 2-3 months and he "broke up" with me because I wouldn't "go all the way" with him. It definitely depends on how mature you are, how TRUSTWORTHY you are and who you're going out with and where. Don't go out with older people ... at a young age, go out with kids your OWN age. Don't let them pressure you for sex ... BIG, BIG DANGER SIGN! If that's all they want - they're garbage and they don't care about you as a person, they're only after what they can get. When you're a teen-ager, no matter what you may think, you're not mature enough in most cases to know the difference between the crumbs of the world and the genuinely nice people - you're vulnerable, naive, and willing to please rather than think of yourself or the consequences. Take it from me, someone who is now 38, who ran into a lot of users and losers. My self-esteem was so bad I ended up almost in the gutter, literally. Little girls, please be careful out there. Connecticut can be vicious. Please, love yourself, because no one else will until you do. R.D.