By Julie E 
Photo Credit (Greety Images)
There has always been a double standard regarding age differences in dating. When an older guy dates a much younger lady, he is frequently praised; when an older woman pursues a younger man, she is usually regarded with contempt and called a “cougar.”
However, new studies indicate that more young men are looking for older women and vice versa. An example? According to one survey, almost 90% of males are interested in dating someone ten years older than themselves, while 81% of women are open to dating someone ten years younger.
Maria Shriver, a special anchor for TODAY, was interested in the reasons behind the increasing prevalence of these partnerships, so she spoke with a dating expert and many couples to learn more.
“There are already too few people in the pool to find the appropriate one for you. Why are we shrinking it further? Men don’t.
Julia Spira, a matchmaker, told Maria that she has been observing this change in the dating scene for a while.
She clarified, “Women are going to be dating like men now.” “These days, women have the economic power, they’ve got great careers, so they aren’t necessarily looking for somebody to be their equal on a bank statement.”
Three couples who were six to twenty years apart in age also participated in the discussion. Erik Anderson, a 26-year-old personal trainer, and Tracy Tutor, a 46-year-old real estate agent, are the main cast members of the popular Bravo TV series “Million Dollar Listing LA.” Anderson explained to Maria what made him decide to ask Tutor out in the first place.
“The younger girls are a little disoriented and don’t really know what they want. Then I’m lost. Then I noticed her self-assurance, and I was immediately drawn to the fact that she puts a lot of effort into achieving her goals.
“Before I met Erik, I went out with a lot of men who were naturally drawn to my success and confidence—until we were by ourselves. ‘Oh, I don’t want you to have too much of an opinion,’ is what it was like after that. She said, “I like the idea of you, but not really.”
Despite being six years older and earning more money than her partner, Malik Rashid, Laquelle Mills values the idea that he can support her in a different way: by communicating with her..
“I firmly believe that he communicates more effectively than I do. This generation, in my opinion, is more fearless; they can express their feelings in the moment, deal with them, and go on,” she remarked.
“I’m not concerned with my woman making more money than me at all,” he stated.
Colin Willard feels he has something more significant to give Theresa Gage than a huge salary, despite the fact that he is 16 years younger than her.
“The younger generation of men sees that being a good partner means making sure your woman’s fulfilled emotionally, mentally, and physically,” he stated.
Naturally, things are not always sunshine and rainbows for these couples, and they acknowledged that it may be difficult to deal with criticism from others regarding their age difference.
“In reality, women make up a large portion of the judgment. Why would you suddenly choose to condemn another woman for embracing her sexuality and her own strength and choosing to date someone younger, who would never be criticized by a male dating someone 30 or 40 years younger, given the movements that have been taking place?