What broke teenage romance?

Ren, 18, describes herself as “a big romantic.” Like so many teen girls that came before her, she loves love: Ren is obsessed with rom-coms, develops crushes quickly, and dissects texts from boys with her friends. But, like many of her friends, she hasn’t dated anyone; as a rising sophomore in college in New York, Ren has yet to experience her first kiss. 

She wants genuine connection and intimacy. But Ren doesn’t find the current slate of options appealing: neither the cycle of what kids term love-bombing ...