It’s no secret that people tend to judge those closest to them the harshest when it comes to controversial topics because the actions of family, friends and neighbors tend have a more direct effect. So in the case of underage dating, one might be quicker to scold his or her relative than to frown upon someone else’s, especially if he or she is a teen sensation. However, regardless of how many followers a child has on Instagram or how many zeroes are in their net worth, children should stay children and should not be robbed of their innocence. If he or she is not 18, dating him or her is illegal.
A prevalent display of underage dating is Tyga and Kylie Jenner. When they began dating, Tyga was 25 years old, and Kylie was 17. It’s hard to say whether people should be more disgusted with Tyga or more appalled at Kylie Jenner’s parents for allowing this. What a 25-year-old would want with a 17 year old is a mystery, and her parents are even more at fault for allowing such a relationship to spark.
One could have expected that of Kris, aka “Momanger,” but Caitlyn, or Bruce at the time, should have intervened a little more, as Bruce is often referred to as the stricter parent versus Kris, who is commonly referred to as being too permissive.
However, sometimes unexpected relationships and situations just happen, but that’s why children have people around them who love them and should make an effort to tell them that maybe that isn’t the best decision.
It’s not only the physical aspect of the relationship that is the problem, but it’s also the innocence a teenager loses by dating an older person. Be it a boy or a girl, dating someone in his or her 20s while underage is just not right. Someone who’s 17 is barely even old enough to handle a serious relationship, let alone a relationship with someone who is almost a decade older. Imagine all that someone in their mid-twenties has been through and done. So many experiences, mistakes and lessons that a teenager could not begin to understand.
A 17-year-old is supposed to be growing, having fun and learning, not taking on the stress of a committed relationship with someone who is in his mid-20s. In Kylie Jenner’s case, not only is Tyga eight years older than her, but he also has a child. What 17-year-old has the mentality and willingness to play the step-mother role?
Underage dating is a common practice of the past. Just check your history textbooks, and you’ll discover that young women have been dating and marrying men much older than them since the dawn of time. When we think about the customs, lifestyle and lifespan of people in the 1600s we can imagine why this was the social norm. If you take into account how dependent women were on men for shelter and resources, a large age difference during that time period seems sensible. However, with the average lifespan in 2015 at an all-time high of 78 years and our innovative 20th century culture, this practice no longer has any validity.
If it was anyone else, many parents in this situation would have probably cried “statutory rape” in a heartbeat. Yet if it’s for the good of a career and publicity, it’s all right. Go figure.
We all need to keep in mind that we were once teenagers, too, and, of course, we did not make the best decisions. That’s all a part of growing up and learning from our mistakes. However, if we can help today’s teens avoid mistakes they may soon regret, shouldn’t we? Guys and gals, let’s make sure we are dating people of legal age, and if we can, let’s not condone illegal age differences. Underage dating is simply unacceptable.
