WATCHING an advance screening of teen drama 90210, a revival of the once-popular Beverly Hills 90210, I was struck by a line that one of its teenage characters spouted.

"The only cure for a break-up is a hook-up," saucy high-school student Silver tells a friend after she splits with her long-distance boyfriend.

Now, while baby boomers might think of hook-ups as, say, a leisurely catch-up over lunch or tea, the newer generation (read: anyone under the age of 35) will know that a hook-up refers to any kind of physical activity - from kissing to casual sex - with no strings attached.

The reason the line caught my attention was not that a character on a show geared towards teen viewers was saying this.

Rather, it made me question my views of hook-ups, which I once staunchly advocated for the newly broken-up too.

I know that, to some, physical intimacy - especially during a time of emotional turmoil - can give them a sense of control.

Yet, last year, American author Laura Sessions Stepp noted in her book, Unhooked, that hook-ups can put people, young girls in particular, at risk of depression and sexually-transmitted diseases. Hook-ups can even make them ill-equipped for real relationships later on.

Stepp drew flak for her views, with some critics saying they were a reflection of an earlier, more restrictive moral climate.

It is, however, important to air Stepp's views as we are in more liberal times and can sometimes forget where the moral line is.

Hook-ups are now commonplace. A couple of months ago, after a close friend broke up with her boyfriend, the consensus among our group of girl friends was that she should spend some time alone and indulge in flings since she hadn't been single for several years.

The argument was that she should enjoy the freewheeling single life. Which, today, includes going out to party and, if the opportunity should come along, hooking up.

I kept silent on the matter, unsure if I agreed. Being in a stable relationship, I do look at singlehood matters differently from how I used to when I was younger and on the prowl.

Sure, playing around with someone who finds you attractive can be an intense, much-needed ego boost, especially after a break-up when you are at your most vulnerable.

It can be a heady, cathartic process. (Here, I will add that it must be done with responsibility and, for goodness' sake, protect yourself. You know what I mean.)

But, I've realised over time, there has to be a level of inquiry as to whether it's honestly fulfilling, or if it is just a salve for the ego.

That's a fine line that my friend, at age 30, is able to draw and so I say to her, go ahead and hook up, if that's what you want. But the advice I would (humbly) give anyone would be: Be careful with your heart. Treat the person you are hooking up with with respect and care, just in case the other party does get hurt.

That's even if you're entering something with no strings attached.

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