From building an online community to losing long-term friendships, micro-influencer couples explain their experiences in age-gap relationships
W
hen it comes to relationships with extreme power imbalances – say, professional hierarchies or underage participants – there is broad consensus on what’s acceptable. But a relationship between people whose ages differ by a decade or so confuses and intrigues people endlessly.
Generally, the wider the age gap and the younger one partner is, the greater the skepticism. Older men have long been side-eyed for dating substantially younger women. The reverse – older women with younger men – also remains somewhat subversive. But the latter dynamic is increasingly celebrated – last year, the Cut covered the trend of older women seeking younger partners, and last month, the New York Times released a podcast episode titled “Older Women Are in Demand by Younger Men”.
Netflix’s recent dating show, Age of Attraction, received reactions that ranged from “interesting” to “icky”. Its contestants were singles willing to meet a significantly younger or older partner without revealing their ages upfront.
