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.
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.
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.
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.)