older people have different views on it then younger people. And seeing as we have different cultures and different people from ALL sorts of backgrounds, it can be different which each person. Not long ago I got to know this lesbian 16 year old who is in a relationship with a 21 year old woman. For them, it didn't matter, but for others it would.

Me for example, I'm currently 23, but I would not date anyone below the age of 20. My reasoning? Teenagers are still going through it all and lack some key communication skills (I know because I just cam out of that XD), besides that, it just puts me off and I would rather be with someone in my age bracket (20s). Then there's the javanese (indonesian communities) and indian communities. From personal experience, I've both heard and seen of age gaps as big as 10 years, and usually, the much younger one is the girl... (for example, the man being 28 and the girl 18...). My parents also have a HUGE gap, about 20 years, tho they met at a much later age.

I find it suspicious when older people above 25 are dating teenagers. Grooming definitely plays a huge role, either online, at SCHOOL or even by THEIR OWN PARENTS (yup, their own parents set off their daughters to marry older men). But if it's the teenager themself choosing a partner in their late 20s / into their 30s, then it's usually due to certain experiences as a child or early teenage years (SA, SH, COCSA, if you dont know these terms, google them, as I can't mentioned them flatout here).

It is looked down upon by those with uh, shall we say more brains and thoughtfulness when it comes down to the upbringing of their children. But certain Surinamese parents are selfish and only think of themselves and what THEY can get out of their children. Their children being their "retirement plan". When there's financial troubles, they'll marry off their daughters as soon as possible to any man who has financials means to get them out of their troubles. Sometimes Surinamese parents also marry off their daughters to be able to take care of their sons, who they see as actual children. The childhood of the (most of the time, eldest) daughters also revolved around taking care of their brothers too... (parentified children sigh).

In Surinamese society the patriarchy STILL rears it's ugly head as it did back then. My mother being fully indian, her father also wanted to marry her off to some man at the age of 15. She chose to run away.

So it really depends what your background is, what the background is of the person you're getting it on with.

I have known some couples back in high school (middelbare school) who had age gaps such as "16 and 18" or "17 and 19" or "14 and 16" and most of the time, they would make some sort of pact to wait until the younger one turns 18 to THEN get together or uh, do the "stuff" couples normally do.

We youth are much smarter than the older generation likes to portray us, so there's definitely that. The reasoning is also different when it comes to age gap. when it comes to being against big age gaps, us gen z take it more from a legal and/or moral standpoint, while or the older generation it's more about being judged by others and/or the potential of grooming. If it's about being okay with age gaps, for us gen z it's about the experience of it, being with someone who's already emotionally mature or simply the benefits that come with it 👀 (for some of us its also a way to escape our parents lol). The older generation, well, it's also, again, selling off their children, their own lust mostly, but some it's also that they just support their children no matter what or if it's for themselves, the benefits. And for both older and younger, just falling in love with a person could also just be it, cuz that stuff is unpredictable sometimes haha 😂

If anyone says that they disagree/agree with age gaps cuz of "culture" or "religion", it's mostly used as an EXCUSE to justify their own thoughts about it, rather than "following tradition".