By Kimberly Humphries

It is not uncommon.  Every weekend junior and senior guys arrive at freshmen girls’ houses to take them out on a dinner and movie date while the junior and senior girls opt for a more relaxed night in with their college guys.

I am one of those girls.  I have never dated anyone less than two years older than me.  It is not a rule I have; that is just the way it has always seemed to work out.  I honestly could not tell you why.  Part of me thinks maybe it is the maturity level guys gain as they grow older, but then another part of me thinks maybe it is because I have grown up with most of the guys my own age, so that makes it difficult for me to think of them as anything more than friends.

Whatever the reason, clearly I am not the only one that feels this way.  Every other day I am being overwhelmed by information of new couples.  Some couples have an age difference of barely a year, while other couples may have a five year age gap.  Everyone always has something to say about other people’s relationships and about how someone is too old or too young for their significant other, but where exactly is the line drawn that states what age difference is acceptable and what age difference is creepy?

I believe there is no line, no limit, and no rule that couples should be forced to follow in order to be considered socially acceptable.  If you are mature enough to drive a car, have a job, and maintain your school work, you are mature enough to decide who you date.  Often people will say, “Older guys only want one thing,” and sometimes, they’re right.  But often, that is not the case.

In any relationship, whether there is an age difference or not, both people should be aware of what the other’s intentions may be.  The outcome of any relationship will always be dictated by communication and maturity.  If you are mature enough to deal with an age difference, and if you are well aware of the other person’s past and can accept their flaws and mistakes, then you are mature enough to decide for yourself if you want to get involved with that person or not.

There are some exceptions to my age difference rules, of course.  And I turn to my favorite social network, Twitter, to help me fully get my point across.  While scrolling through my Twitter trends, I see that #shestooyoungforyoubro is making its way to the top, and I must admit that many of them make valid points. If you take her on a date to a restaurant and the waiter gives her a kid’s menu #shestooyoungforyoubro.  If her age can still be found on a clock #shestooyoungforyoubro.  And if she does not know what MySpace is then #shesDEFINITELYtooyoungforyoubro.

Other than those few exceptions, most to all relationships with age differences are acceptable.  That is not to say they will work out, because let’s be honest, the person we date in high school probably is not going to be the person we will spend the rest of our lives with, whether there is an extreme age difference or not.

All we can do is enjoy our high school experience with the people that make us happy, and try not worry what anyone else thinks.