Age.

An undeniably important factor when it comes to dating and relationships. I mean, to be really frank, I’m 24 years old this year (I think you can trust me on this). You can’t possibly ask me to date someone who is old enough to be my.. mum.

Yes, age is an important factor, and it can be a touchy one. Just look at all the dating apps in the market. Age is a must-have factor, and it determines the primary group of people you choose to give a chance to meet. (I will give you a dollar for every dating app without an ‘Age’ setting for users to fiddle with)

This is our third week doing this short question poll with our users (if you missed my previous two posts, shame on you! Ok I’m just kidding. Here are the two posts, here and here). We thought we could tackle this topic on age, and of course, gather opinion from the different genders_._ So, we asked:

Males: Would you prefer to date a girl who is younger or of the same age as you? Or, would you rather date an older girl?

Females: Would you prefer to date a guy who is younger or of the same age as you? Or, would you rather date an older guy?

The Results

For the most part, it seemed that the old, traditional way of thinking is still prevalent. Of the 366 responses from the male users, only 33% of them responded that they are willing to date an older girl. The rest of the 67% would only date a girl younger or of the same age as them.

As for the 360 female users who responded, 40% of them are willing to date a younger guy, and the majority still would prefer to date an older guy. Apart from the difference of 6 respondents, can we actually say that the males are the ones who place more emphasis on the age of their date?

The traditional mindset of dating, and eventual marriages was fixated on the fact that husbands are the breadwinners and wives are the homemakers. Perhaps, this is the main reason why it is acceptable for males to marry females much younger than them. And perhaps, this is the reason why there are still some girls who would prefer dating and be marrying a guy who is older than her. However, as society evolves, role reversals are apparent. Your typical lady isn’t one who would be staying at home, doing all the things a homemaker does, full time.

So, what is more important then?

In fact, in my opinion, as society evolves, more emphasis is placed on the age range instead of the specific, “You must be older/younger than me” limitations. Age gap differences are real, and a poll also stated that a 10-year difference makes it 39% more likely for a divorce. However, what I’m trying to drive across is that your partner is likely to be more relatable if they are close to your age, and not because he or she is older/younger than you.

I’m assuming that most of you would want a lasting relationship with your current/future partner. I guess the most important factor is still mutual respect for one another. Mutual respect is the one that balances the relationship and keeps it on track. Your relationship is like a freight train; once in a while, someone has to take over the engine room so that the other party can take a break, and enjoy the scenery of the journey. Once in a while, you have to make stops, and allow someone to take control of the train, so that you and your partner can enjoy your time spent together…

Let me end with another quote:

April Braswell, the Senior Dating Columnist at DatingAdvice, said: “It’s better to look for lifestyle alignment than an exact age. “

Like what you’ve read? Give us a ‘Like’! Don’t seem to agree with certain points? Leave a comment down below! I’m open to any discussions.