Why is teenage love so intense? Relationships can be more intense for teens in part because they are highly attuned to what others might be thinking of them, and they dont have a broader perspective that comes from experience. Instead, they can use the experience as a teaching moment.

How does love affect the teenage brain?

Intense feelings of romantic love activate the striatum, the dopamine-releasing region which is more reactive in adolescents. Dopamine creates a feeling of joy and reinforces behaviors that trigger it. Even when love is not pathological but just novel, the brain experiences it as if high on cocaine.