Legally, yes. You can’t and shouldn’t prevent them from dating.
But, it’s still creepy, it’s usually still predatory, and there can be a huge power imbalance. Basically, the main thing is whether either person can easily leave at any time - often the younger one can’t.
I don’t know man. If at 50 I ran into a 20 something that was into dating me, I’d feel more like prey than a predator. But, who am I kidding? If the roles were reversed and I was a 20 something encountering a 50+ cougar, I’d still feel like prey. It’s definitely all about power dynamics, but I don’t think making assumptions about adult people’s situations based on age alone is appropriate or helpful.
Legally, yes. You can’t and shouldn’t prevent them from dating.
But, it’s still creepy, it’s usually still predatory, and there can be a huge power imbalance. Basically, the main thing is whether either person can easily leave at any time - often the younger one can’t.
I don’t know man. If at 50 I ran into a 20 something that was into dating me, I’d feel more like prey than a predator. But, who am I kidding? If the roles were reversed and I was a 20 something encountering a 50+ cougar, I’d still feel like prey. It’s definitely all about power dynamics, but I don’t think making assumptions about adult people’s situations based on age alone is appropriate or helpful.