Demi Moore (48) and Ashton Kutcher (33) were the go-to example for the groundbreaking dating style.These days even young celebrity couples such as Selena Gomez (19) and Justin Bieber (17) are giving the age gap a try.
Dating younger guys is usually something older women begin to do to feel young again. In fact, a study done by AARP magazine states that 34% of all women over 40-years-old dated younger men while 35% preferred dating younger to dating older men. The cougar mentality is common for women of a certain age but the attraction has been spreading for women younger and younger.
Junior family science and English double major Stephanie Green doesn’t think that age matters in a relationship for most women. “I don’t think age is a problem for women as long as he’s attractive to them and on the same intellectual level they are,” Green said.
Yet Green says that she hasn’t seen many people on campus dating younger men. Some think the reason for this is a social stigma that won’t be going away anytime soon. Junior psychology major Brandi Pressley said, “For women, society seems to judge them more harshly or just become confused with the idea that she may be dating a younger man. It’s because it’s not as acceptable as men dating younger women.” Remember when there were rumors about Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber? All the tweens totally freaked out.
However, the main problem shown in the media with dating younger is the immaturity. Women mature faster than men do and often have problems with maturity when dating men their own age. Dating someone younger than them can pose even more issues.
Sophomore music education and percussion performance major Sarah* has experienced dating both younger and older men. “I’ve dated older guys who were more immature than some of the younger guys I’ve dated. It really depends on who they are,” Sarah said.
Age doesn’t matter that much to Sarah and thinks it shouldn’t be a big deal for others either. “If they’re an adult and you’re older than them it’s whatever,” Sarah said. Yet Sarah does believe that a line should be drawn somewhere with age. “If you’re dating someone in high school that’s weird,” Sarah said.
Starting off as a cougar in college might scare some people off because of the social disadvantages. This reporter found that when interviewing women about their views on dating younger guys, their first reaction was a negative one. After more thought, they slowly began to warm up to the idea. The reason these women all stated for their hesitation was fear of judgment.
As long as the woman can get over the anxiety of being seen as the guy’s babysitter instead of the girlfriend, than dealing with a younger man could be easier than people think.
At the core, all men are men.
“All boys are stupid,” Sarah said. Ultimately if age isn’t made into a huge issue it’s possible to find a catch that you never thought you could find before. If open to the possibilities, you too can find your Bieber.
*This name has been changed.