Most people look at celebrity couples or those we see on social media to try and decide whether they agree, but who decides what is right and what is wrong?
If we look at celebrities for example there are lots of controversial relationships that have been judged by the public for example, probably the most disliked age gap couple Aaron and Sam Taylor-Johnson. This couple met when Aaron was only 18 and Sam was 41 and have been met with a lot of controversy since then. While in a legal sense, this is allowed in most of society's eyes it feels uncomfortable and doesn’t feel like an appropriate age gap with many stating how she is old enough to be his mother. The couple has been met with serious backlash as it questions whether an 18 and 41 is an appropriate match considering how 18 is not exactly far from being a child. The backlash also stemed from how Aaron and Sam then had a baby not long after making Aaron a very young dad.
While in a legal sense, this is allowed in most of society's eyes it feels uncomfortable and doesn’t feel like an appropriate age gap with many stating how she is old enough to be his mother.
While I do think an age gap is ok, I think you have to look at the ages that you met and at what point you got together. For example, meeting at 30 years old and 50 years old, while a 20-year age gap is a lot, I think both adults at this stage are mature enough and old enough to get into the relationship. But when you look at age couples that start whilst one is very young, like 18 or 19, something about it doesn’t feel ok. For me, you start to question why the older person in the relationship is attracted to someone significantly younger. Now this doesn’t necessarily mean there is something inappropriate about the older person's feelings but it also makes you think something about it doesn’t sit right with it.
But ultimately when it comes to age gaps within reason, I think they are ok however just not all age gaps. I think most people would agree that the idea of an 18-year-old and a grown adult who is in their 40s or even 30s doesn’t feel ok, I think there is an uneven level of maturity that can’t be matched like a couple in their 30s and 50s. So are age-gap couples ever ok?