Are you in love or just infatuated? The relationship you’re in now, Is it genuine? Is love just a feeling, or based only on intimacy?

Love is defined as a feeling based on emotions, and these emotions are circulated with questions on whether it’s real or not.

 Many students at Enochs High School are beginning to start relationships, and many have been in one for quite some time. This generation of students may think they are in love, but may be primarily mistaking that flustered love based solely off of the romanticizing vision or admiration of others known as infatuation. 

Infatuation is an unreasonable passion for someone, and may be short-lived or temporary. The media may argue that as  infatuation wears off, teen love sometimes turns into true love because they are highly attuned with the desire to have real love.

 Also, teenagers tend to be more focused on attraction rather than closeness which begs the question of if teens are creating relationships based on genuine, real love, or on temporary short-lived passion and admiration. Asking the question “what would you define as love?” Lily Martinez, Junior at Enochs High School stated “A pure and genuine feeling of wanting to uphold someone or something.”

When upholding a commitment like a relationship, teens tend to find themselves questioning if they want to take on something that serious and big. Upholding love is about committing to the significant other for a long period of time, it is the foundation of a healthy relationship, for committing to one another which provides structure and stability. 

After being asked “Do you believe teenagers can build relationships based on real love?” and “Are teens in more healthy or toxic relationships in today’s generation?” Isaac Pena, Junior at Enochs High School stated “I do think Teens can find true love but it’s very rare to find someone who is truly ready to give into a committed relationship and toxic yes, for sure toxic relationships since most teens are still too young and childish.” Toxic relationships are what the media and today’s generation seem to find more of rather than love.

Teens often struggle with recognizing the warning signs of an unhealthy relationship. Being in unhealthy relationships can be caused by the infatuation that first takes place before a relationship even starts. Being involved in an unhealthy relationship can take a serious toll on a teen’s mental health, physical health, social life, and education.

So ask yourself before questioning if you’re in love or just infatuated, “Are me and my significant other fully committed?” “Is my relationship genuine and pure?” “Can I see a future with them?”

Today’s generation struggles with these questions since many people of different ages might want different things from relationships especially as a teenager.