Can you really fall in love as a teenager? Is teenage love simply "puppy love" or can it really be "true love?" Adolescents often view love as a physical act rather than an emotional connection. Sometimes a teenage girl becomes involved with a boy because he is popular and dating him improves her social status. Alternatively, a boy feels that he is expected to date a girl or experiment, but they may not be truly happy together. On the other hand, teenagers can genuinely fall in love during high school, get married and live a happy, long life together. Some believe that teenagers can find true love while others feel that teenagers are too young to develop the devotion needed to form a deep connected relationship. Teenage love can feel real in the innocent young minds of adolescents. This love often appears pure without the influences of money, power or status. The desire to love is a basic characteristic of human beings and is a central requirement for maintaining our existence. It is a fact of life, especially for hormone-charged teenagers. Love is not like lights or appliances which can be turned on and off. Rather the feeling is involuntary and unstoppable. From personal experience, my cousin, Cassie, married Chris three years ago, right after they finished college. They always seemed comfortable together as a couple and I sensed that they had known each for years. Surprisingly, I found out that they had met in middle school and have been a happy couple ever since. This example proved to me that true love can blossom between adolescents, even before high school. But, teens can carelessly use the term "true love  without experiencing a deep connection. Some young people focus much of their energy in high school on dating popular, beautiful people and on having a physical relationship. These youths should focus on the important aspects of the teenage years and enjoy their childhood before it is gone. There is plenty of time after r