The informal term “puppy love” or crush refers to romantic feelings usually experienced by children and young teenagers. It normally begins as an infatuation because of someone’s physical appearance or attractiveness, which is why it is often called “puppy love.” Its name stems from the way the puppy shows affection and worship to its master. Preadolescent hormones are thought to drive puppy love, and it usually lasts for two months to a span of two years only. Nevertheless some scientists believe that it may be started off with due to the natural development of the brain at the beginning of preadolescence.
Puppy love tends to happen as teenagers grow up. The object of attachment may be a peer, but also a child’s fondness for an adult can be described by this term. In most cases, however, objects of such children’s infatuations are several years older like teachers, family friends’ actors or musicians that children daydream about or fantasize about.
Puppy Love in Different Cultures
In China mainland, current General Rules for Production of TV Series Content (2015), current General Rules for Content Review of Internet Audio-Visual Programs (2017), and current Rules for Content Review Standards for Internet Short Video (2019) all define “early love among minors” as “bad behavior,” “adverse effects on minors,” or “detrimental to the healthy growth of minors”, saying that there shall not appear any printable content showing minors in early love. Such regulations represent their disapproval at media representation of puppy love.
On the contrary, Western, Japanese and Thai anime films as well as children’s dramas often portray sexual relations between underage characters directly; such tendency could be observed among Disney animation works superhero comics and many others by Hayao Miyazaki. These media focus on how beautiful these relationships can be when they consider minor interactions; thus urging protagonists intrinsically to develop themselves for each other.
Puppy Love in Adults
It normally begins as an infatuation because of someone’s physical appearance or attractiveness, which is why it is often called “puppy love.” It usually lasts for two months to a span of two years only and it is thought that preadolescent hormones fuel this particular type of affection.
The term may be used derogatorily, suggesting the relationship lacks substance and will not endure like other types of love. But Sigmund Freud did not underestimate the power of first love, understanding fully well that there was a reason behind “the proverbial durability of first loves.”
Characteristics of Puppy Love
During early dating among young people, puppy love occurs when they are still naive about one another. In this case, most experiences are innocent mainly due to lack of knowledge. A crush is considered a rite-of-passage experience where the child becomes aware of himself or herself as an individual by having intimate feelings towards somebody who does not belong to his/her family. Due to the intensity involved with such emotions, couples may easily go into sex without being ready for long-term commitments.
The Distinction between Puppy Love and Real Love
Puppy love is more like crushes whereas real love often necessitates a conglomerate of commitment, passion, and intimacy. There is a deep emotional bond in true love that results to losing oneself in someone else. It means caring about their welfare deeply and always wanting their joy.
Cultural and Entertainment Representations
In Western, Japanese, Thai animation films as well as children dramas the image of the minor aged relationship is frequently used with the focus on stimulating personal growth of their characters. However, mainland Chinese movies and TV shows for example try to avoid them by allowing teenagers who fall in love from a young age to break up sadly, so that they understand early love’s worth.
Refining the Definition
Love goes beyond fleeting emotions because this changes. Love is not an emotional whim; it is an intentional choice. True love isn’t meant to be rushed or hurried; instead it grows over time on its own pace. As Robert A Heinlein once said ”Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.”