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Age Difference?
16/f
i have this question about age differences. why is it that there are married people and people dating that are 10 yrs apart, but it's not okay for a 17 yr old to be dating a 21 or 22 yr old?
your technically allowed to date at 16 right?
i need some insight from people.
thanks. =)
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First off, you are right. You are allowed to date at 16. Actually, you're allowed to date when your parents give consent.
However, the difference between a married couple being 10 years apart and a 17 and 21 dating is a legal matter. In fact, it's illegal without your parents consent. And of you have sex, it's cosidered statitory rape, and they can go to jail. You are not allowed to give consent until you are 18, and if you are younger and going with someon older, it is illegal.
Plus, while you are 17, you are still in high school. Your fun can still be innocent. You can have fun without getting drunk or high, or having sex. It's also illegal for you to have alchohol or drugs. A 21 year old won't get arrested like you would if they were caught at a party with alchohol. They are of legal age.
Maturity levels are different too. The 21 year old will be more mature than the 17 no matter what. Thay also know more, and can do more.
The age differences really aren't that different, yes, but those differences still are really big.
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At 17 and 22 you are different stages in your life. Just think about the way you were when you were 12 versus they way you think and act now. Totally different, right? At 22, you've probably finished school, gone through stuff and learned from your experiences. It's a stage in your life where you've established who you are and need to find a job and settle down. You're pretty much a "grown up" who has bigger things to worry about, like bills. Life gets more serious.
I don't want to say that teenagers are immature, but really, you have different priorities and interests. At 17, you're either partying it up in high school or college, and not too worried about finding a job yet. Of course, at that age we'd all like to think that we're so mature, invincible, and have led a "tough life", but you will be constantly going through things and learning from them in the coming years.
Now, when you talk about someone 40 vs. 50, they're more on the same level in that they've gone through the same experiences, like the college thing, having a profession, and maybe kids.
Anyways, when you're young, you don't see so much of the problem of dating an older guy, but when you are the older person.. Let me tell you, there is only one reason for a guy to date a young girl. There's always the excuse that she's mature and everything, but nope. Plus, we tend to see guys who date younger girls as creepers/pedophiles lol. Not cool.
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The laws for "dating" are actually about who you can sleep with. They're different for every state.
The reason that adults date in large gaps is because as you get older, the differences between yourself and the older people around you are minimal. You're 16 now, would you like to data 6 year old? Or even a 11 year old, that's only a five year difference but the mental differences are vast.
17 year olds and 21-22 year olds have a lot of differences. 21 year olds are trying to establish a life, get serious about figuring out where they're going, whereas a 17 year old is still about having fun and still trying to get through high school dramas and things that 21 year olds tend to see as immaturity.
But hey, whatever makes you happy, love.
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It is because people believe all 21 and or 22 year olds will be forcing a 16 or 17 year old into sex, drugs, drinking, etc. when actully not all guys are that immature. towards the state its techinally illegal as well. but when i lived in Ohio it could be a 4 year difference. so a 17 year old could date a 21 yar old. and in missouri i was told it is 5 years so a 17 year old could date a 22 year old
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Im a 20 yr old female and I think its because in the eyes of the state and adults, what does a 21 or 22 year old want with a 16 or 17 year old. In their eyes they should be looking for someone theyre own age that they would have common interests with. Maybe in their minds a 21 or 22 yr old is possible of corrupting a teenager with drinking and sex and things like that. Now we know that 16 and 17 year old are going to do what theyre going to do, with or without the help of a person of legal age, but adults dont see it that way. I didnt understand it much when I was 16 or 17 either, but as the years go by I see it making a little more sense and Im starting to think that when I have kids and they are 16 or 17 Im not going to want them dating a 21 or 22 year old either. I guess its just something that comes with age haha
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