# Is it Creepy for a twenty-something to date a teenager? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 21, 2016, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-creepy-for-a-twenty-something-to-date-a-teenager/749756 "2016-03-21T13:24:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-creepy-for-a-twenty-something-to-date-a-teenager/749756/61 "2016-03-24T00:20:56Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > The question is, does this seem odd or creepy _today_? Yes. There are circumstances where I’d consider it only mildly unusual for a 24 year old to be dating an 18 year old, but in general I think it’s creepy. If the 18 year old is still in high school then it’s super creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Napkin\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8dc957/32.png) [@Napkin\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napkin_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-creepy-for-a-twenty-something-to-date-a-teenager/749756/62 "2016-03-24T13:17:02Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Although MilliCal had a definite case in mind, she was asking this question in the anstract. To her and to her friends, dating between an 18 year old and a 24 year old is creepy. > > Actually, make that _was_ creepy. She tells me that, after reading the replies, she thinks that it does depend on the people involved and how mature they are. But she still leans toward “creepy”. It’s funny though - if I hear of people with that age gap dating, I do have an instant negative reaction. And then I have to remind myself that’s the age my husband and I were. I’ve known successful marriages with an 18 year age gap (bride was 21 at the wedding) and one with a 35 year gap - very happy, loving, well-balanced relationships. But I do sometimes worry for the kids that their dads will probably die relatively early because they’re so much older than their kids. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-creepy-for-a-twenty-something-to-date-a-teenager/749756/63 "2016-03-24T13:30:45Z")
> [@Napkin\_Sandwich](#): > > It’s funny though - if I hear of people with that age gap dating, I do have an instant negative reaction. And then I have to remind myself that’s the age my husband and I were. > > I’ve known successful marriages with an 18 year age gap (bride was 21 at the wedding) and one with a 35 year gap - very happy, loving, well-balanced relationships. But I do sometimes worry for the kids that their dads will probably die relatively early because they’re so much older than their kids. Heck, that’s smaller than the gap between my parents’ ages, at roughly the same age. I would never have thought of that are creepy. again, different times (plus the fact that your parents aren’t “people” to you). MilliCal says that I should tell everyone that she and her friends talking about this are, indeed, college students. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-creepy-for-a-twenty-something-to-date-a-teenager/749756/64 "2016-03-24T13:34:51Z")
Of course it isn’t creepy, not just because of the age difference, anyway. Will it work out? Well, probably not. But most relationships don’t work out. If the standard for dating someone was “we will never break up” you could never date anyone. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-creepy-for-a-twenty-something-to-date-a-teenager/749756/65 "2016-03-25T01:44:23Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > MilliCal says that I should tell everyone that she and her friends talking about this are, indeed, college students. And the guy is a recent graduate or a grad student? Then tell MillCal, that no, the age difference isn’t what creepy, but if she is creeped out, she should trust her instincts and be very cautious around this guy. (But not to say anything too negative to her friends, just in case.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-creepy-for-a-twenty-something-to-date-a-teenager/749756.md?page=3)