4 ms·

I think the big change hasn't been on the male side, but rather on the female side. There's always been creepy men willing to do this... the big change has bee

by tdfx 5y ago

I think the big change hasn't been on the male side, but rather on the female side. There's always been creepy men willing to do this... the big change has been the mainstreaming of the acceptability of this among females. It used to be embarrassing to be seen as the kind of girl that spends time with old rich guys in exchange for gifts. Now being on their yacht in Biscayne Bay is worth the instagram clout for many girls. Go for a walk on the beach in Tulum and you'll see the average age difference of couples is something like 20 years. Instead of keeping it a secret, college age girls know their friends are doing it, as well, so there's no social pressure to hide it.

whimsicalism 5y ago
It's hard to tell where the big changes are. Very, very clearly there has been a massive shift on the acceptability of talking about this among women, and also I think how common it is among more affluent, younger women. But I have no idea how the demand on the male side has changed. Certainly, there have always been "creepy men" doing this, but I'm curious if the numbers are increasing or staying steady. Definitely I have never heard of any man I know doing it, but I think they would hide that they do. By contrast, I do know young women who have done this.
notsureaboutpg 5y ago
It was embarrassing for like 50 years of human history. Historically women got married around the age of 14-16, to men older than that, and marriage would often come with greater access to goods and services. That really started changing with the advent of mandatory public education, so it started changing like 100-ish years ago. If you don't believe me, check the age your grandparents got married at. It was probably in their teens.
jahewson 5y ago
I’m going to assume that women’s fundamental willingness to engage in this kind of behaviour hasn’t really changed but that they are no longer shamed for doing so. Couple this with social media and you get a big uptick in visibility.
- tastyfreeze 5y ago
  Additionally, the rate of women willing to engage in this behavior has likely not increased much. It is just that it is more visible. Seems very similar to the inflated perception of child abduction occurrence.

by tdfx 5y ago

whimsicalism 5y ago

It's hard to tell where the big changes are. Very, very clearly there has been a massive shift on the acceptability of talking about this among women, and also I think how common it is among more affluent, younger women. But I have no idea how the demand on the male side has changed. Certainly, there have always been "creepy men" doing this, but I'm curious if the numbers are increasing or staying steady. Definitely I have never heard of any man I know doing it, but I think they would hide that they do. By contrast, I do know young women who have done this.

notsureaboutpg 5y ago

It was embarrassing for like 50 years of human history. Historically women got married around the age of 14-16, to men older than that, and marriage would often come with greater access to goods and services. That really started changing with the advent of mandatory public education, so it started changing like 100-ish years ago. If you don't believe me, check the age your grandparents got married at. It was probably in their teens.

jahewson 5y ago

I’m going to assume that women’s fundamental willingness to engage in this kind of behaviour hasn’t really changed but that they are no longer shamed for doing so. Couple this with social media and you get a big uptick in visibility.

tastyfreeze 5y ago
Additionally, the rate of women willing to engage in this behavior has likely not increased much. It is just that it is more visible. Seems very similar to the inflated perception of child abduction occurrence.