The Age Gap "Issue" Is a Modern Invention

(Reposting with an updated version to follow Reddit guidelines.)

TL;DR:
Age-gap relationships are being unfairly demonized today, even though they’ve existed throughout history without issue. Society is more focused on what’s socially acceptable(and what's not) than what’s truly ethical.
This sums it up: https://imgur.com/a/AwsfKQ6

Age gaps were never an issue throughout the entire history of humanity. Even when there were huge age differences, no one saw it as a problem. But now, suddenly, people are acting like even the smallest gaps are "weird" or unacceptable. (Of course, some extreme age gaps in the past were clearly problematic, but it just shows how society often focuses on what is socially acceptable rather than what is genuinely ethical or reasonable.)

I see people saying “Oh, 20 and 25? Meh, kinda weird”, and now even small age gaps that were never an issue before are suddenly seen as problematic. Just a decade ago, no one would have even noticed. The social perception of age gaps keeps getting more extreme for no real reason.

It’s funny how society keeps shifting narratives to fit an agenda. One moment, an 18 or 19-year-old is old enough to vote, sign contracts, and even go to war(possibly even die)—but apparently, they’re too young to consent to a relationship with someone older? Where does this logic come from?

The truth is, age gaps have never been the real issue. What truly matters in relationships is mutual respect, emotional maturity, and shared values. Yet, media and modern feminist rhetoric have pushed this idea that younger adults (especially women) are "incapable" of making their own choices when dating older partners.

But let’s notice the double standard:

• A 20-year-old man dating a 30-year-old woman? "Go for it, bro, get that experience!"
• A 20-year-old woman dating a 30-year-old man? "He's manipulating her, she's too young to understand!"

Why is it empowering when women date younger men, but predatory when men date younger women? It’s selective outrage, not real concern for consent or well-being.

And here’s the real kicker—over 50% of marriages and even more relationships end in breakups, and most of them are between partners of similar age. So clearly, age gap isn’t the problem. Relationships fail because of incompatibility, bad communication, or personal issues—not because someone is a few years older or younger.

And while media constantly pushes the narrative that age-gap relationships are "dangerous," no one ever talks about how damaging porn is—even though it's widely available, proven to negatively impact mental health, relationships, and real-world intimacy. (It’s no surprise, considering platforms like Pornhub and similar companies are worth billions of dollars, which likely explains why the media avoids criticizing them.) Somehow, that’s not a problem, but consenting adults in an age-gap relationship are?

At the end of the day, personal agency should matter more than media-driven hysteria, as long as relationships are consensual and legal. People should be free to make their own choices without being infantilized by ideological narratives.

And honestly? This all looks like feminist and media manipulation to me. Why? Because women in their late 20s and 30s hate the fact that men in that age group prefer younger women. Instead of accepting that reality, they try to shame men for their preferences by pretending that every age gap is "problematic."

Thoughts?