Age gaps in friendships?
I would like to talk through something with you. I am 17 and I have friends as young as 14 and as old as 21. I host calls with my friends and that means all my friends, so oftentimes my 14 year old friend is on the call at the same time as my 21 year old friends. My opinion is that age really doesn't matter for friendships, it only matters for dating. Because in friendships, the younger person can get insight and perspective from the older person. And the older person can adjust and adapt to have age appropriate interactions with the younger person. But lately I've received some criticism. I'm not sure if that's the right word. More like concern. One of my older friends was worrying that she’s making my younger friends uncomfortable simply by being on the same call as them. My younger friend is telling me that I should not have been friends with a 20 year old at 16 years old. I shared my opinion that it doesn't matter how old friends are in a friendship as long as they have healthy dynamics. And my friends said that no one my age should be friends with people in their 30s. I am friends with people in their 30s. We hang out and they're wonderful people. I think it's really wise to learn new things from people of different ages. And see different perspectives. My 16 year old friend who is two grades younger than me said that grooming doesn't have to be romantic or sexual, and that a friend can still try to take advantage of you. I said that friends of any age and equal ages can also take advantage of each other. So I don't think that really has to do with age. I don't think age is the problem. With dating it's very different. Dating should be on an equal playing field. Because of the level of involvement in each other's lives and the intimacy of that dynamic. But I don't know how I feel about these concerns that have been raised.
This is a thinker. For me I'm very conscious of age. Kids should remain kids for as long as possible, For adults they have different life stages.
I would just be very careful about certain subjects. Youngsters are impressionable sponges. That don't always grasp things, like an older person would.
Maybe you can get neutral opinions and base it on what you believe is the best thing. At least you are aware of it now :)
@Fluffysheep8 I see exactly what you're going through.
Yes, adults could use their age and experience against younger groups, but adults can also help protect the young from those very same manipulations. I wish it were simpler than that. I wish we could take one look at someone and just know what kind of person they are.
I also understand being insecure from both of their views. Though, when I was a young teen, I would only have been anxious about older friends because I was raised to be nervous around people. And grown adults don't usually associate with younger age groups because they fear being viewed as predators. There's a sort of stigma there.
We aren't raised by a village anymore. We are all isolated, more or less.
People will always have their own opinions on who you should associate with, no matter how young or old they are. Just be reasonably careful, but not paranoid like me.
