Why is it considered okay for a 40 year old to date an 18 year old, but it's "gross" when an 18 year old dates a 16/17 year old?

[Anonymous]

Updates

+1 y

Am I the only one who finds that shit weird?

[Screenwriter]

The problem with an 18 year old dating a 16 or 17 year old in some U. S. states is that 16 and 17 are still considered legal "minors." Therefore the 18 year old could be arrested for statutory rape, or corruption of a minor if a parent pressed charges. An 18 year old is considered an adult, legally.

We all know that this doesn't make much rational sense since maturity-wise 18, 17 and 16 year olds are fairly similar in experience and mental maturity.

However, it is "gross" for a 40-year-old to be seeking an 18 year old: someone who is more than twice that youth's age and who has nothing in common with what would be, to him or her, a person young enough to be their child.

However in many states 16 and 17 are legal ages for adults to interact sexually with said youths.

I know I didn't know diddly when I was those ages and had no interest in someone my dad's age. And though just about every 16 and 17 year old is interested in sex, that doesn't mean they're ready for it or the responsibilities that come with having sex.

[4ngelic]

its the reverse. no one thinks its gross when a 16/17 (especially 17) year old dates an 18 yo. the only people who do are American extreme woke tiktok 14yos who would call a 16yo dating a 15yo grooming. also the vast majority think 18 & 40 is gross. the only people who dont are 15yo who think 18yos are grownnnn ass adults who wear suits, talk about politics and drink wine so whats the problem or older dudes riddled with red flags

[pethouse]

Well it depends on which state. The legal age of consent is is ether 16 or 18. 18 year olds can date a 16 year old but if he gets caught dating a girl that’s 15 almost 16 then he could possibly get in legal trouble. Now the reason is because there minors. “There brains aren’t fully developed” but in reality our brains don’t fully develop until we’re roughly 21, not 18. So when your 18 you can legally be tried as an adult and you can sign up for the military, but law forbid you to drink and smoke because your brains aren’t fully developed, yet you can go to into the military and risk the chances of getting ptsd for life, you can sign an agreement to put your self in thousands of dollars in debt to go to college.
The reason why it’s considered not okay is because 16 and 17 are still legally minors while once you turn 18 you pass the “threshold” of becoming an “adult”

[NamerOfStars]

Hypocrisy. Everyone over the age of 20 was, at one time, under the age of 18; they know full well teenagers, while they might not have the full appreciation of risks and consequences necessary to be able to consent to have sex, aren't idiots- but they refuse to treat them that way. Even in places where it's legal, an 18 year old lusting after someone two years younger is seen as creepy (well, here in the West; elsewhere, it might be different), even though the same people feeling the same way would've been fine a year earlier.

The change from child to adult doesn't happen overnight; it's a very gradual process. There's no practical way for the law to reflect that, and the commendable desire to protect children from sexual abuse often leads to some pretty stupid ideas.

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

People’s morals are largely dependent on what’s considered “legal.”

[Avicenna]

LOL, that's not "gross", it's just what's legal, but when I was 17, I had an 18-year-old girlfriend and nobody, including my parents, was bothered by it.

[mayur1598]

Dating minor is crime?
Why...
I mean it's just dating...
They are not having sex or anything...
Also minors can kiss...
And anyhow in few years they are going to be adults...
Its not like when you hit 18 you get divine knowledge of all things...
Its just a number...
Everyone knows everything before they turn 18... Its just a milestone...
So I don't think it should be that big deal...

[molonski2]

I dont consider it " Gross " at all , as a male , I always went for a couple of years younger , I wouldn't want to be an 18 female dating a 15 year old , thats just sick , she should be going for guys around 21 .

40 male? Id like the girl to be in her 20s.

[syncheart]

Where I live 18 is the min. age for being legal. Do I think it is gross? I do not. Do I think it is wise? I do not. If an 18 year old wants to be with a 40 year old, or a 40 year old wants to be with a 18 year old. It is none of my business, and not my problem.

[LiamJHayden]

People are entitled to their opinions. My opinion is that I do not care whom consenting adults change.

As for 18-year-olds having sex with 16 or 17-year-olds, in most U. S. states that is perfectly legal, and in the states where it is not it is fine for an 18 to date a 16 as long as nothing sex-related occurs.

[RavVid]

The later might break age of consent in some jurisprudence's though 18 with 16 would fall fall under Romeo and Juliet provisions.

18 yo's are adults so after that it is fair go.

Both scenario's are ok to me.

[Fireguy17]

I would say it was the other way around.
I'm not sure what a 40 year old would have in common with an 18 year old beside doinking her, but an 18 year old to a 16 year old is only 2 years different.

[Anemone978]

A 40 year old dating an 18 year old is gross.. but it is "legal"
As for an 18 year old dating a 16/17 year old it doesn't really matter but in America that can be illegal lol

[wolfcat87]

18 with 16 or 17 is less gross than 40 with 18. 40 shouldn't be going below 21-25. That being said, 18 shouldn't be going below 17. Too developmentally different.

[Lliam]

Because some people have hang ups about complying the arbitrary age of consent laws. They are so ignorant that they think dating someone under the legal age of consent is pedophilia.

[boggboss]

Because one is illigal and the other isn't what feels yucky is not the same as what's considered illegal

[ChangingConstance]

16 is legal nearly everywhere

[Asker]

@ChangingConstance welcome to 'Merica.

[Asker]

@ChangingConstance also where it's illegal to drink alcohol at 18, but you can go to war.

[boggboss]

My statement was for where its illegal lol but at that point I would say its where 16 is not considered a adult with full rights where as 18 is

[ChangingConstance]

18 is still not considered full adult with full rights. You can't buy or drink alcohol for example.

[boggboss]

Oh I'm in the UK think the only thing u can't do is adopt

[ChangingConstance]

There are still restrictions until you are 25

[boggboss]

For what lol

[ChangingConstance]

You are not a full adult till you're 25 in the UK

[boggboss]

Where are u getting this from lol

[ChangingConstance]

18 is a teenager, not even a proper adult

[boggboss]

U can vote buy alcohol or ciggs get a tattoo and get a credit card all

[boggboss]

The only thing I can find for where u might be making this claim is that they have prisons specifically for 18-25 year old but at that point they would be described as young adults not minors anymore

[ChangingConstance]

You can do lots of things at 16 like drive too just a few less than at 18. This has nothing to do with sex though.

[ChangingConstance]

There you go. 18 year olds are also treated with leniency by the law

[boggboss]

Yet are treated harsher then 17 and under so they are not considered minors either

[ChangingConstance]

Yes but not full adult like you claim

[boggboss]

Like I said they are comsiderd young adults either way the reason it matters is because many don't consider a 16 year old as a adult their for xant properly concent

[boggboss]

OK I correct my statement that are young adults where 16 is still considered a minor

[ChangingConstance]

Law matters more than what people think

[boggboss]

But u didn't ask a question about the law u asked about people's opinions

[ChangingConstance]

I thought 16 year olds are young adults too

[ChangingConstance]

I am saying if law says its OK. It shouldn't be more unacceptable for a 18 year old to date a 16 year old and acceptable for a 40 year old to date an 18 year old

[boggboss]

No they are still required to be in education and do not have full atonamy of themself under the law

[boggboss]

Lol its also legal to cheat on your partner so does that mean people should be fine with it

[boggboss]

Law and feelings or opinions don't go hand in hand

[boggboss]

People can have negarive opinions on somthing that legal

[ChangingConstance]

No but that's completely different

[ChangingConstance]

Yes but law prevails in my opinion

[boggboss]

No its not you just said because its legal people shouldn't have a negative opinion on it I personaly think anyone 18 plus is disgusting if they fate a 16year old

[boggboss]

But the question is not if its illigal lol its opinions on it which has nothing to do with the law

[boggboss]

Its also legal to have sex with your cousin but I guess u think that's complety fine as its legal

[ChangingConstance]

I disagree with your opinion

[boggboss]

Thats fair enough u can disagree with it the same way I disagree with yourself

[IslaTheWitch]

In Germany for kids 14+ y. o. the age difference can't be bigger than 2 years. So 18 y. o. meeting 17y. o. or 16 y. o. is allowed.

[PBandJ_Nerd]

18 and a 17 yr. old dating isn't really gross. 40 and 18? Yeah, that's way too much of an age gap.

[BoopBoopBeep]

I don't know anyone who finds that gross. In nearly all jurisdictions Romeo and Juliet laws prevent that from even being illegal.

[Joshydavid25]

It's actually the other way around.. I don't think in anyway its considered gross for an 18 to date somebody a few years younger than them.. Especially if they are both in Highschool..

[Anonymous]

The same people who consider one age gap okay usually think the other is fine as well. The only plausible difference is that one is technically legal while the other varies by state but it’s widely respected that 18 is the legal age.

[ChicoFromThe305]

Cause there's a legal age and 18 is it, under that isn't

[ChicoFromThe305]

It is*

[Asker]

Still, it's fucking weird. The law doesn't equal moral.

[ChicoFromThe305]

No it doesn't, if the law did, the world would be much better.

[Anonymous]

i was with a 41 year old guy when i was 16 and we just kept quiet about it and no one ever bothered us

[BustyMilf81]

I had a few about that age in my mid teens as well

[Opinion Owner]

@BustyMilf81 i think a lot of girls do

[BustyMilf81]

Mine was a lot of my friends dads

[Opinion Owner]

@BustyMilf81 me too. i only had one

[BustyMilf81]

I had about 8 from 14-18

[Sharkstealth]

I don't know about gross but isn't that legal? Isn't there a certain age gap legality in minors dating?

[AngryCarl2]

Because the 40 year old and the 18 year old are both adults.

[Asker]

18 is legally an adult, yes, but they're much closer to a 16/17 year old biologically. Shit logic.

[Anonymous]

I don't consider it gross. It's fine. General rule of thumb: age of the older divided by 2 plus 7 should be less than or equal to the age of the younger. 18/2 7=16, so it's ok.

[Anonymous]

Its socially acceptable for an 18 year old to date a 16 year old but not OK for a 40 year old to date an 18 year old

[Asker]

Where I live, it's the opposite.

[Opinion Owner]

Where do you live

[Asker]

All I'll say is I live in the US.

[Opinion Owner]

That's strange.

[Socaljp]

Because the 16 and 17 year Olds are babies (minors)?

[Asker]

And 18 year olds aren't? You'd still be robbing the cradle.

[goaded]

I don't think anybody thinks that.

[Energetic_Dad_35]

As soon as everything is safe, I respect...

[Worst]

Cause people are dumb

[FenixG45]

18yo are legal adults, so illegal under 18.

[Anonymous]

Uhm. . . it isn't!

[riverrat3]

Because of the age barrier of 18 being legal

[Drewtate]

It's not. Generally.

[Lokiion]

Both are gross