Kissing.
Lip-locking.
Making out.

Whatever you call it, kissing means the meeting of lips to lips, or maybe even to a cheek, a forehead, a neck or a shoulder. It’s easy, intimate and fun, but lately it’s been getting the short end of the stick. Now, when you tell someone you made out with a cute guy or a cute girl the other night, the question often follows: “What else did you guys do?”

Adaption of work from Carla Berrocal Creative Commons Attribution License

For some of us, kissing has become just a warm-up before more full-body activity. When you're thinking about what comes next, kissing can be taken for granted. What happened to those sweet, innocent, yet still meaningful kisses? Why are we in such a hurry to do something else, when kissing can be so much fun? I decided to speak to several teens to find out what they thought about kissing.

But first, let’s explore the origins of kissing.

The Evolution of Kissing

In a Seattle Times article, "Kissing: Nature's Cure-All, for Most," Gina Kim explores the evolution and benefits of kissing. She says that while some cultures in Africa and the Himalayas don't believe in it, “kissing is largely universal, with 90 percent of the world’s population engaging in some form of it."

So, where exactly does it come from?

No one knows for sure how kissing started. In Andrea Demirjian’s book Kissing: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about One of Life’s Sweetest Pleasures, she discusses several theories. One theory is that kissing developed from cavewomen passing along already-chewed food to their babies. Some believe that this very tender act might have turned into what we now know as kissing. Demirjian also thinks that cavemen used to smell the breath of their potential cavewomen partners as a test to see if they were healthy and clean, and that may have evolved into today’s act. And she says that Roman men practiced kissing their wives when they returned home to check if they had been drinking wine while they were away.

Kissing has come a long way, baby, and today it's a familiar expression of love—something that everybody does, from kisses of greeting to passionate kisses.

Intimate Versus Friendly Kisses

By the time most of us enter high school, we've had our first intimate kiss. I asked friends from my school and they all agreed that the most intimate kisses—those above the torso—are on the lips, neck and for some, shoulders.

As for friendly, innocent kisses, all agreed that they take place on the cheek. Several pointed out that sometimes the deepest kisses are on the forehead. I would have to agree. Sometimes, a subtle peck on the forehead can be more heartfelt than the most in-depth, mouth-to-mouth kiss. “It’s so sweet when my boyfriend tackles me, and suddenly, but gently, pecks me lightly on my cheek or forehead,” says Mariah, 18, who is originally from the Philippines and now lives in California.

The Names of Kisses

Of course, we are all familiar with the classic “making-out,” but here are a few unique names for kissing.

Mariah enjoys laughing and chatting with her boyfriend between kisses, and when I asked her if she had a special name for kissing, she said, “I call them attacks.” Mariah is one of the few teens I know who's holding off on more risky sexual behavior and taking time to truly enjoy kissing.

“Smoochy-smooch!” squealed Monique, 17, of Los Angeles, CA, when asked if she has a unique name for the meeting of lips. Kissing seems to be a playful game for Monique.

For Doron, 18, from Van Nuys, CA, kissing is a game. He is one of those people who has made out with a lot of different girls. He calmly expressed how he “macks” girls and has no hard feelings the day after, though he admitted that some of his partners do.

When Shehara, 18, who is originally from Sri Lanka and now lives in Los Angeles, is asked if she has specific names for kisses, she jumps up and says, “Yeah! Angel kiss with the eyelashes and Eskimo kiss with the nose.” For Shehara, kisses don’t necessarily have to be with the lips.

The Fun Activites

Kissing can be lots of fun. With all those nerve endings in the lips and tongue connecting to the brain, a kissing session not only feels good, but also signals your brain to release endorphins—“feel good" hormones.

Monique reports that she swaps candy, like Starburst, back and forth between her mouth and her partner's mouth. This game could be done with any solid food object (preferably candy). Perhaps mints or maybe even gummy bears! As long as the food objects don’t get involved in oral sex, it’s all good. It would be unsafe to use candy or other food around the vagina or the urethra of the penis.

Do Teens Think That Kissing is Underrated?

Mariah does. She says, "[P]eople always expect more after it. [Kissing] is a privilege." Monique agreed, saying that kissing is underrated “because people just want to have some action, and there’s no passion behind [kissing] anymore.”

I have to agree that kissing is underrated. With games like passing Starburst back and forth and deploying “attacks,” the possibilities for fun are endless.

The next time you're with your partner, slow down. Maybe the two of you could appreciate the simple pleasure of kissing. You may find there's no reason to rush into more risky sexual behavior, when there is so much fun to be had just...kissing.