>

Whoa there partner, don't be bringing the 1980's back to town. Stick with the script, didn't you learn anything from the MeToo movement?
Take it from an almost 40 year old. You know fuck all at 18 about the world. Yes you are an adult and subject to all that being an adult entails. But honestly you still have very little life experience. >

But i guess enough life experience at 18 to do porn, enter into contracts like buying a house, join the military etc. >

Well yes, because you are an adult and can make your own decisions. However, 18 year olds are generally still dumb af and an older person would probably find it easier to manipulate them because of their lack of experience.
Using Leo DiCaprio as an example, there’s something dodgy about a man of his age dating someone that young. I’m 27 and would see a 19 year old as far too young for myself. No one’s saying it should be illegal, but somethings not quite right about it, and I say that as a big Leo fan >

Just because the possibility is there doesn't mean that's what happening. It's just assumptions without any context or insight in the situation. Don't you find a 19yo choosing to date an older millionaire just as dodgy? >

That’s what I said? But the potential is much more likely. 
No, a 19 year old wouldn’t have the same potential to manipulate a much older partner as vice versa. Plus, 19 year olds are dumb and will jump at any chance at clout. >

Don't you think dating someone for the sake of clout is manipulative?
Why does the potential matter? If you don't know, then it's irrelevant just because something could be happening. >

It’s not manipulative. It’s shallow, but not manipulative.
Because there’s a pattern of older people preying on younger less experienced people because they’re easier to manipulate. I wouldn’t immediately jump to the conclusion that Leo is a predator because of it, but I definitely think it’s weird. I’d think it’s weird if one of my friends dated a 19 year old in their mid-late twenties, nevermind 50s. >

I’m 27 and I work with teenagers. One of my former students is 21 and we just saw each other professionally recently. We are only 6 years apart but in vastly different places in life. We had an enjoyable lunch catching up both personally and professionally and she’s a lovely person to spend time with. But even with a small age difference, I feel way too old to be her friend, never mind date someone that age. There are exceptions, especially is a younger person is out in the work force and experiencing a life similar to that if an older person. But most of the time it takes a little longer to figure life out. >

Do you think a 17 year and 11 month old is mature enough to make those same decisions and date a 40 year old? (Legal relationship in the majority of the US)
What about a 16 year old dating a 40 year old? (Also legal in most of the US)
Why is 18 magically mature enough?
Just because something is legal doesn't mean it isn't creepy. >

You have to make a cutoff somewhere. At 18 your out of school and expected to live as an adult. After that point your choices are your own responsibility >

go work in student affairs or in dorm rooms for a few years and you will vehemently disagree. the amount of "adults" let loose into the world who couldn't even do laundry is shockingly high >

College students delay growing up and rely on their parents (vast majority, 85%), or the government with loans.
Kids who enter the work force grow up a lot faster, not privileged babies relaxing in a lazy river. >

College students are not lazy babies in a floating river lmao >

As a former 18 year old I can tell you with confidence, 18 year olds are basically children in adult bodies. >

Take my upvote, hard-core disagree. Since our brains don't fully develop until about 25, it is impossible for anyone younger to have more "agency" than an older person in the relationship. Every relationship is slightly grooming to a degree, we have to learn to adapt to each other's needs.
In a healthy relationship I might establish that I want to kiss in public, if my partner doesn't want to they have to communicate that. If they are a lot younger then me they are not as likely to communicate that, they might be more focused on making me happy so I don't leave them, which is unhealthy. 
In a relationship between someone who is 48 and 19, the 48 year old has more power because they have more experience and knowledge. The 19 year old will be more likely to stay in a bad relationship if they are being told that's the way its supposed to be. It doesn't matter if you think that 19 year old is capable of making their own decisions, what matters is they are being influenced and that's on the 48 year old. It's creepy so I'm gonna judge and hold the person who has more power responsible. >

And these are speculations that the relationship could be bad and how people you don't know could behave. You don't have any evidence to even think this and just because something like this could happen doesn't mean it is happening.
Influence isn't power the same way your boss has the ability to control your employment or a landlord controls the roof over your head. Having your own money and fame isn't the same as having the ability to take away someone's ability to escape them. >

The weird part about Leo is that he only seems to date women that are younger than 25, and once they get to be around the age he leaves them. Personally I just find it weird to date a specific age range of people that are significantly younger than you. It's not really about these women being incapable of making good or bad decisions, or at least not in my opinion. >

18 is legal in the US, so they can do what they want, but the prefrontal cortex of the human brain doesn't fully develop until around 25. 18 is a fairly arbitrary number for adulthood. >

Is it worth asking if Leo’s frontal cortex stopped developing when he was 18? Because I know some people who are basically the person they were at 18. >

The brain Leo thinks with us somewhat lower and far less complicated. 
But that's an interesting point. Is he stuck in his teenage years and that's why he's choosing these women? >

The issue is being 18 has no more brain development than a 17 year old… just legal differences. There’s not many reasons where a non fully developed girl should be with a 50 year old >

From what his Ex GFs have said it sounds like Leo's Brain development is also at the level of around a teenager. Which would explain A LOT. >

Lmfao . I wasn’t even referring to that but yea lol >

18 is old enough to make many decisions, but it’s still very young in other regards. 
I don’t care much about Leo’s dating. These girls have been cast into an area of life where they’re basically objects and it’s how they make money. 
They are young to become so used to and accepting of a life style, but it’s not like Leo’s dating an 18 year old who just graduated a normal suburban highschool. The 18 year olds he’s getting from a background of modeling and being around groomers of the life of rich and famous >

I mean, that's all just speculation. We don't actually know her background. >

Well I can guarantee Leo wasn’t at a bookstore at a local library and happened to find this girl looking at the same book 😂 >

That's....not the point I was making, or even close to it. We don't know what her experience in modeling has been or who she's been around and engaged with.
That's the point. >

sure but we DO know why hes with her, because shes a teenage girl. Hes not with her because shes super smart and mature its literally because shes very very young. >

People: 16 year olds should be able to vote and kids should be able to permanently alter their bodies!
Same people: These 18-22 year olds weren’t mature enough to understand the consequences of taking out student loans! >

You can make this comment about anything though. A 10 year old can be mature enough to cook themselves a moderately healthy lunch, but might not be ready to be given $100 to budget on groceries for the week and meal plan. >

The question is maturity. If they aren’t mature enough to sign a contract, why should they be allowed to vote or make permanent alterations to themselves? I believe they are mature enough for all 3 when they turn 18, generally. Of course some people mature sooner/later than others but we have to draw a line somewhere. >

Depends on the individual. I was working and making decisions since I was 13 yet I've met countless 18-20 year olds that didn't know shit nor could they do anything more for themselves than microwaving a TV dinner.
Generally speaking, 18 year olds are ignorant as fuck. Rightfully so, lacking experience. >

There is a difference between intelligence and wisdom. The second one comes with age. >

As someone who is 20, you dont know shit >

Did you just pat yourself on the back? >

Hell Ya I did >

The dating pool of attractive people who would date Leonardo DiCaprio is probably unimaginably large and yet he’s choosing to date younger and younger girls, now landing on 19. There are tons of gorgeous and youthful looking people in their late 20’s and even in their 30’s but ah yes tell us more about how he just wants to date hot younger girls. I find it difficult to imagine that you’re 36 and you somehow don’t understand what’s so creepy about the age gap here. To want to get closer to the legal age limit at his age is just gross when there are sooooo many people he could be with who are just as attractive if not more. I cannot see a reasonable justification as to why you’d go that young (at his age) when you have as many options as Leo. >

Yes and no. It's only predatory if the older party is a predator. I'm 30 and if a 20 year old wants to date me, and I'm attracted to her, I'd give it a shot, but I'm not forcing anything on anybody. I had a 40 year old woman hitting on me at 19, felt uncomfortable and she got the hint which was totally cool. If I wasn't uncomfortable, I might have had a good experience, or a bad one. It all depends on the individual situation. It's only an issue if the older party is using things like money, status or experience to coerce the younger one. As for Leo, if he treats them right and they know the life span of the relationship is till when they turn 25 I don't see the issue lol. >

Well said, better than I did. Agree on all points, no notes. >

I laugh because the same women that say a woman has agency also says it’s wrong when they date men twice their age. Which is it! >

you can acknowledge a woman's agency and still also acknowledge that teenagers and young adults are still developing and are far more easily abused/manipulated/influenced by fully grown adults. Ive never understood this argument. it's not black and white? 20 year olds arent brain dead but they still have a fuck ton of learning in the first few years as an adult. >

Ok but nobody actually explains what the downside for the woman is. Is he going to abuse her? Is it wrong to trade sex for lifestyle? Explain it to me. >

From a 26yo you know nothing at 18. Not a damn thing >

It depends on the 18 year old. >

It is predatory just based off of his age. It should not be morally acceptable for old ass men OR women to date people that are so substantially younger than them. >

Nah, it’s predatory and the old people need to know the harm they’re doing. >

it's not predatory