Reimagining Love with Dr. Alexandra Solomon From Crushes to Crises: How Hookup Culture, ADHD, & Family History Fuel Limerence with Amanda McCracken
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Feb 10, 2026 Amanda McCracken, journalist and author who studies romantic longing, shares her journey through intense infatuation. She explores limerence’s highs and lows and how hookup culture, social media, and media ideals amplify it. She also discusses neurodivergence and early wounds as risk factors and describes therapeutic turning points and practical strategies for moving toward healthier connection.
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Hookup Culture Fuels Longing
- Hookup culture normalizes apathy and ambiguity, which fuels longing by preventing closure.
- Making intimate encounters 'meaningless' creates uncertainty that amplifies limerence.
Media Shapes Attachment Narratives
- Cultural content like song lyrics and TV can reinforce avoidant or longing narratives over time.
- Media may shape or reflect attachment patterns, deepening cultural permission for certain longings.
Gendered Reactions, Not Different Rates
- Limerence affects men and women roughly equally, but culture treats their pursuit differently.
- Media often romanticizes men's pursuit while pathologizing similar behavior in women.
