What is age gap dating? Some interesting facts about it!
Normally, in any romantic relationship, the age of the two partners is almost similar or the age difference is only of a few years. But increasingly, alliances are formed in which the age gap is high. This age gap dating is not so uncommon but it continues to raise eyebrows.
What is Age gap dating?
In the olden days, marriages and relationships were between two people of similar age or the age difference between them was small.
But there is a growing trend among celebrities and even in general public of dating a person where the age difference between the two is large. Either the man or the woman is elder by many years. This is age gap dating. The recent couple to join the camp is Cruz Beckham, 19 and his girlfriend, Brazilian singer, Jackie Apostel, 28.
Such pairings are not a new thing. But they still continue to stir a controversy. People look at such relationships with amazement and suspicion. They feel that they might not work. But what is the truth about these doubts? Relationship expert and Elite dating agency co-founder Alex Mellor-Brook elaborates on such relationships.
Alex Mellor-Brook and her views
Alex states that in the modern day relationships are more diverse. Traditional norms and mindsets are changing and many older women are dating younger men these days. Online dating and social media has assisted in these changes.
People are less focused or worry about age gaps. They seek emotional connection and personal satisfaction in these relationships.
They give individual choice more importance and do not care about societal expectations. After all, society rules are meant for an individual’s happiness and not the other way around. They seek partners who can bring happiness into their life and enrich it.
Read more: Larry King, 86 attributes the wide age gap as reason for divorce from his seventh wife, Shawn King!
Many such wide age gap couples are truly happy in their lives. They are able to find space for themselves and spend quality time with each other. They are able to build their own respective careers and also support each other in it.
Problems of age gap dating
Just like all things in this world, dating a person whose age is many years away from yours could have its own problems and challenges. But the problems in such relationships might not necessarily be due to the wide age gap. There may be a multitude of other reasons for it. Also, such problems might occur even in relationship of similar-age couples as well.
Marital problems could crop up due to differences in thinking, or changes in priorities, and even due to external reasons or pressures.
For any relationship to succeed, mutual understanding, mutual respect, and open healthy communication is a must. If these are lacking in a relationship, relationship would break. Alex asserts:
“The controversial preoccupation with these relationships may speak more about our fear of shifting norms than the relationships themselves. Love is about connection, not numbers. Living in a world that increasingly embraces diversity, now is a great time to finally discard those outdated notions and celebrate relationships for what truly does matter: compatibility, shared values, and the ability to support each other’s unique journeys.”
Younger people are looking for compatibility in thinking and not age compatibility. Stereotypical thinking is collapsing and focus is changing.
In such a relationship, the older partner has experience, maturity, and stability. While the younger partner has the energy and spontaneity that keeps the relationship going.
However, despite everything, society still has double standards. It accepts an older man with a younger woman but is not ready to still accept the relationship of an older woman with a younger man. But this will also change with time.