DR. WALLACE: I'm 17 and have dated several guys. Since I drive my own car, I meet these guys wherever we plan to spend time together. If we're going bowling, I meet my date at the bowling alley. Driving to the date spot just makes me feel like I have total independence. If my date and I decide to get something to eat, my date will drive his car to the restaurant, and I'll drive mine. My dates don't seem to mind this arrangement, and I personally love it. I get to spend time with a guy I'm interested in, and I get to feel that I have a lot of control over how the evening unfolds on many levels.

Well, lately, my parents are complaining to me that they have not met these guys that I'm dating, and they're saying they want to meet them. I don't think it's necessary because I'm never going to be alone in a vehicle with my date. What do you think? — Independent Young Woman

INDEPENDENT YOUNG WOMAN: I believe your parent should absolutely be able to meet the guys you are dating. Parents are curious when it comes to the guy who is dating their daughter. The better they feel about the guy, the better the chance the relationship will be enjoyable.

You are, by law, still a minor and are living in their home. Therefore, they deserve the right to meet and evaluate the young men who you are spending time with on dates. Remember that your parents love and care for you, and they are simply exercising their due diligence as parents in looking out for you.

Take this situation as an opportunity to evaluate the guys based on how comfortably and easily they converse with your parents. Their willingness to do so and their ability to build rapport with your folks will give you further insight into the personalities of these guys.

Finally, look at it this way: Someday in the future, if and when you become a parent, you will feel the same way about your teenage daughter that your parents now feel about you.

WHY DO TODAY'S COLLEGE STUDENTS BINGE DRINK?

DR. WALLACE: I'm many decades past my teenage days; in fact, I am a proud grandmother! I have a question for you: Why do today's college students seem to drink so much and so often? They're supposed to be the brightest of our young people, but I've read and seen on television that today's college students consume more alcohol than people the same age who are not attending college.

Every year at spring break time, I see unbelievable news footage of young college students of both genders drinking to the point of blacking out on our beaches, especially in Florida. I know there was a little underage drinking here and there in my youthful days, but it paled in comparison to what goes on in 2020.

Is something terribly wrong here, or am I just being a grouchy ole granny? — Observant Grandmother

OBSERVANT GRANDMOTHER: Excessive student drinking has long been a major problem for colleges and university administrators nationwide. There are many reasons for this.

For most students, this is their first venture away from home and the watchful eyes of Mom and Dad. Since drinking is considered an adult activity and students want to prove their maturity, they often bow to peer pressure. They drink to be accepted, to be part of the group and to be one of the "in crowd." Sadly, many consume alcohol in a binge, which can lead to a dangerous total blackout and loss of memory.

Fraternity and sorority houses are also easy places to consume alcohol away from the authorities. In the past two years, many fraternities have admitted that the drinking problem is out of control and banned alcohol from their houses on campus. Alcohol-free houses are steadily growing in numbers.

When the students themselves are doing something to solve the problem, I consider it to be a very good sign. There have been times when young people have gone overboard with their collective personal behavior — but fortunately, the pendulum has recently swung back the other way. On this particular topic, both the awareness of the dangers of alcohol poisoning and the desire for personal health have sent the current swing back toward personal control and responsibility.

Therefore, things are looking brighter going forward, observant grandmother! There will always be a percentage of college students who act out and drink to excess, but it's actually fewer than you might have guessed. Of course, those who do sometimes make it onto the nightly news, while those who are in full control of their actions garner no such attention.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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