Hey Alexa, play “Let’s Talk About Sex” by Salt ‘n’ Pepper.
Ah, the kiss list. I’ve been waiting to talk about this one. If you’re into girl gossip, you’ve probably discussed kiss lists a good handful of times with your friends — I know I have.
For those of you who don’t know, a kiss list is a running note that someone keeps of their previous flings, things and situationships. They come in many different forms: I, for one, keep mine on a Google Sheets document. I’ve seen them as simple as a tiny list in the Notes app and as intricate as a whole PowerPoint (probably the most entertaining one I’ve seen yet).
The trend circulated around Tik Tok for a bit. I was shocked to see that others actually kept track too. I started my kiss list sometime during my junior year of high school. Here we are, three years later, and it’s an internet trend.
The original Tik Tok I saw was about a girl’s kiss list. She had a physical book and titled it “The Burn Book of Boys” and I was astonished. Sure, I know lots of girls who keep track on their phones, but bringing this concept into a physical form was a concept I couldn’t wrap my head around. I’ll give her points for creativity, that’s for sure.
As I was doing some research for this article, I found that the concept of the kiss list is more popular than I thought. Not only did it have its run on Tik Tok, it’s also taken over community forums on the internet as well.
I stumbled upon a Reddit page discussing a boyfriend’s concern of his girlfriend locked note in her phone titled “Kiss List.” I hadn’t considered this before. Ladies, what do we do with our kiss lists when we settle down? Will these lists stay on our phones forever? What’s the point of them in the first place, then?
I couldn’t tell you why I started my list in the first place. It all boils down to fun, I guess. I have a section for their name, rating, the location, their school and a little section for further notes and comments. Writing that out makes me feel a little crazy, but maybe it’s not. As someone who harps over memory preservation, this makes sense.
I love collecting little moments. I’ve taken up photography, digital media, journaling and scrapbooking in a feeble attempt to keep track of my life. I really, really like reflecting. Perhaps this little kiss list of mine is an extension of that mindset.
As I continued to dig around the internet to break down the psychology behind the kiss list, I found a really interesting article on Women’s Health which, ironically, was written by a male author, detailing his “sex list” and why he keeps one. Scott Muska explains that he keeps his sex list up to date for the sake of safety, nostalgia and analysis. I had never thought how helpful a sex list might be in the case of STDs. It’s nice to know that this isn’t just a “girl thing” — some guys do it, too!
Think what you will of the kiss list, but I think it’s awesome. I would love nothing more than to sit down with my friends and share the misadventures detailed on our kiss lists over a glass of rosé. Will I keep my silly little Google Form forever? No, probably not. For now, though, I’ll continue to make note of who I’ve kissed, where I kissed them, their star signs and more. Perhaps it is a bit juvenile but I’m okay with that.