Top 10 Reasons Why Older Adults Should Not Date 18 Year Olds

From what I've heard recently, society generally frowns upon older adults dating 18-year-olds. At first, I didn't understand why, but now I kind of do. It's often considered inappropriate to date someone who's under half your age plus seven, a guideline many people use to determine age-appropriate relationships.

There wasn't a list like this on here, so I decided to make one myself. Sexuality is a pretty sensitive subject, so I'll try to write this with as much tact as I can. Hopefully, this list turns out well, and I make absolutely no mistakes.

Keep in mind, this is just my opinion. You're free to date whoever you want, since it's a free country. Just be safe, stay within legal boundaries, and don't get yourself in trouble, especially with the law.

The Top Ten

  1. 18-year-olds are at a completely different stage of their lives

    They're at a stage where they're finally growing up, but they might not have matured yet. They probably don't know how to pay taxes or drive a car or whatever. Older adults are probably more experienced than them, so they need to understand that younger adults still need some time to gain experience so they can finally function on their own.

  2. Most 18-year-olds have not matured yet

    If you're really thinking about dating an 18-year-old who probably has the mentality of a 10-year-old boy, then you're in for a lot of bad luck because it's going to be difficult to talk with that teen because of how immature he or she might be at the time. It's just going to turn out hard for you.

  3. 18-year-olds are still not fully developed

    I'm almost 30, and even people in their early 20s now look like teenagers to me. They're almost literal babies.

    They may be legal adults but biologically and mentally, they are still adolescents.

    Mainly because they aren't able to consume alcohol (the same goes for 20-year-olds as well).

  4. Half your age plus seven matters

    Half Your Age Plus Seven is a rule to define the youngest that a romantic interest can be before the relationship is indecent. To compute the oldest one could date without it being socially awkward, simply subtract 7 from one's own age, and multiply by 2.

    To compute the acceptable age an otherwise inappropriately matched couple would have to be before they could date, find the difference in their age, multiply by 2, and add 7 to get the age the older partner would have to be.

    Remember, always round up when computing the youngest age you can date, and round down for the oldest. You know, just to be on the safe side.

    I had never heard of this before now, but it works and sounds about right to me. My best advice is to just date someone who is close in age to yourself.

  5. You don't want people to think you're creepy

    Remember, always keep the Half Your Age Plus Seven Rule in mind.

    Especially when the man or woman is old enough to be a parent.

  6. Having a baby with an 18-year-old probably won't turn out well

    Teen pregnancy, especially those with no husbands at all, is disgusting!

  7. You don't need to date an 18-year-old to feel young again

    Most adults probably date teens because they want to feel young again. You don't need to do that. A person doesn't make you feel young. You make yourself feel young. Youth is something you have to find in yourself. But always keep in mind that you should be a kid at heart but still be an adult in your mind. That's what matters the most.

    I'm bisexual. I like both boys and girls. I would never go on a date with an 18-year-old to make me feel young again. Make sure to date someone your own age.

  8. These types of relationships don't usually last very long

  9. It's disgusting

  10. 18-year-olds still aren't legal enough to do certain things

    For example, they aren't old enough to drink alcohol (like I said before) or get into clubs.

    In the UK, it's legal to drink alcohol from the age of 18. However, there are some weird age gap relationships out there.

    They might only have part-time jobs as well.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    It's predatory

  12. ?

    Young people who fall into relationships with someone much older often suffered abuse or trauma growing up, and older people will just abuse them further rather than help them heal and have a healthy life

    13. The Contenders

  13. People might think you're a pedophile

    Mainly because most aged 18 are mentally still kids (and the fact they have the word "teen" in the age name which is mostly associated with children).

  14. 18-year-olds lack life experience

  15. It's better to date someone your own age

    I'd say this is a pretty solid list, not gonna lie. I tend to aim for people who are around 21-39, roughly. That estimate might be subject to change, but I digress. Considering how I'm 24, I feel like 21 is an appropriate starting point for me, and whether or not I still agree with the 39 estimate might change in a few months, but it's a starting point. People who are eighteen or nineteen might be legally old enough, but their brains are not mentally developed enough for me.

    Apart from one time when my attention was turned to a man in his 20s, I've always been attracted to men my age or older (mostly older). I can't imagine falling for an 18-year-old boy (and I can't help but view them as boys) because mentally that's what they still are. They still think like a child and always revert back to their boyish ways, however much they think they've grown. Give me a real man over a boy any day.

  16. You don't want people to think you're taking control of the teenager

    The reason why people think older adults dating 18-year-olds is creepy is because of the assumption that the adult is pursuing the young adolescent specifically because he or she wants to date someone young and nubile, but lacking in experience and maturity. Young adolescents are easier to manipulate and control than older adults and probably have less fully formed expectations of romantic partners. This means that an experienced guy can probably use a young girl for sex and other favors, without her realizing she's being used.

  17. It is weird

  18. Just because something is legal doesn't mean it's morally right

    The law has condoned some terrible things slavery and this tiny thing called the Holocaust. In India you can marry and have sex with an 8-year-old girl, does that mean it's okay to have sex with girls that young?

  19. Some of them might not even look 18

    There are some 18-year-olds who look like they have the body of a 14-year-old, so it's kind of odd when you think about it. I'm just saying that appearances have to make a little more sense sometimes. I get don't judge a book by its cover, but there are times where looks should matter if you know what I mean. But to each their own (I understand that preferences vary).

  20. Many of them are not capable of living independently

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