Can teenagers feel genuine love?

[AquilaTempestas]

Okay. This might be an odd one, but I've writing some Hogwarts Legacy fanfiction about Sebastian and female main character. They're around that 15-16 age since it's fifth year.

I know there's a big debate about love in general - that teenager brains are still developing and thus are not capable of feeling the same sort of love adults can, but is this really true?  There's always that talk of teenagers just feel infatuation and they're too young to understand what love actually is.

I personally think that teenage love can be genuine - adults are always making mistakes and we're supposed to be 'experts'. The psychological and biological processes are still the same - sure, the levels of commitment might not be there yet, but I don't think that discounts 'genuine love'. (please don't mistake for the idea of true love - the whole soulmate thing. I'm talking more about genuine emotion.) So, to answer my own question, I think feeling the capacity to love and form a meaningful relationship with someone is not age-restricted. 

[CarmineDeer]

I reckon teenagers can feel genuine love. I think we have a tendency to act on it in more silly ways than when people are older, but I think it can be just as genuine. There's always the question of whether it's love or infatuation, or just a very strong level of codependency, but I don't think it impossible. Maybe just not as likely.

[Moonblossoms]

Kinda late to answer but I think what teenagers have are not love. They just have feelings and crush. If it's genuine, I think it's love in a friendship way than romantic. Or it's just their feelings aren't matured to love.

However, in fiction teenagers tend to fall in love truly, especially in anime.

 

[AquilaTempestas]

Teenagers feel more strongly than adults do because of hormones and such so I think that yes, teenagers can have a genuine sense of love - it might be rare, but it can happen. Childhood sweethearts anyone? Just like teenagers have a genuine sense of other strong emotion. They're just less likely than an adult to commit and really act on those feelings because of age limitations (then again some adults never find genuine love either). Ultimately depends on the person - I've known teenagers far more mature than adults in their 50s...

[OfficerDonNZ]

Ask the tough questions why don't you Aquila? 

I would say that yes teenagers can feel genuine love. I know I did when I was 18. It's something you can't put into words easily. For me it was like a magnet, each time I'd look at the girl in question (she was 16 btw) there was this invisible pull towards her an attraction that I couldn't explain. Very disconcerting to be honest. Anyway I asked her out and to my surprise she said yes. However things always seem to conspire against us and nothing ever became of it. Not for my lack of trying. I still think about her every now and then even 31 years later. God knows what I'd do if we were ever to run into each other now.

[Dementor]

They surely can. Not all of them, though.

In the story that we are making with my bestie there are some teenagers (14-16 years) truly in love with their significant others, while other ones are just attracted to someone. Because of their hormones and "undeveloped brains" they can be more impulsive and silly, but still this is love.