It’s not uncommon for there to sometimes be big age gaps in relationships. And while some people think age is just a number, and such gaps really aren’t an issue, there are others who just can’t understand it.
Well, a huge debate is now raging online about age gaps. It all started when someone posed the question on Reddit, "What is your opinion on a 30-year-old dating a 19-year-old?" Within 24 hours nearly 30,000 people commented on the post, with varying opinions.
Responses against included:
- "It’s not the age gap, it’s the mind gap."
- "Personally, I think it’s weird. A 19-year-old is basically fresh outta high school, barely an adult mentally. A 30-year-old is a full-grown adult who is way older, mentally and physically."
- "Half your age plus seven. That's my general rule for dating. I'm 30 myself so the youngest I should date would be 22 or 23, if you round up for months."
- "I'm a 30-year-old. And I wouldn't trust another 30-year-old who would WANT to date a 19-year-old because it is doubtful there are good motives."
- "I thought it was okay when I was in my 20s, but now that I'm in my 30s, it's a big no-no."
Responses that were okay with it included:
- "I met my wife when I was 20, and she was 38. Been married now for 15 years and still going strong...It works for some, age isn't everything."
- "I feel age is a false metric in a way… The age gap is another variable for sure, but I think there are so many variables. It doesn't make a lot of sense to attempt to predict the future of any relationship. Even though we all try."
- "My now-husband and I met when I was 18 and he was 32. Thirteen years on we are still together, still happy, and I’ve watched my friends’ (who were with more ‘age appropriate’ people) marriages and relationships crash and burn. I don’t think it’s about age, I think it’s about mental and emotional readiness to commit to a person."