What does hooking up mean for teens?

Teens use the expression hooking up (or messing around or friends with benefits) to describe everything from kissing to having oral sex or intercourse. But it does not mean they are dating. Hooking up isnt a new phenomenon -- its been around for at least 50 years.

How does hookup feel?

Hooking up can leave people confused. Feelings of awkwardness, confusion, and emptiness accompany these hookup experiences. Sure, people might feel adventuresome, but they also may end up feeling disappointed (Strokoff et al., 2014).