Here’s What Gen Z Has To Say About Age Gaps
Talking to actual Gen Zers, you’ll find that their opinions on age gaps run the gamut. As with most things, their takes on the subject are much more nuanced than those found on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, would have you believe.
That said, many are genuinely bothered by age gaps. While the #MeToo movement gave them the language to talk about power imbalances, some 20-somethings say their opinions are more colored by their own personal experiences.
Layla — a 23-year-old who asked to use her first name only for privacy reasons, like others in this story — thinks it’s better to date within your own age group, ideally within a two- or three-year range.
“When I was around 21 and 22, I tried talking to guys who were 30 and over, but soon realized it wasn’t right,” she told HuffPost. “They had so much more life experiences than me, and it was awkward being from different generations.”
Layla said she’d tried to joke and laugh about certain things ― a meme or a TikTok video ― and got a lot of blank stares. She wasn’t a fan of their humor, either: Men recounting the umpteenth Seinfeld episode or that one Step Brothers scene gets a little old after a while.
“Trying to relate to one another just didn’t work out, and it felt awkward and wrong,” she said.
