ImGoingToHellForThis

I get the consent points. The thing that makes this problematic to me is the inherent power dynamic in this kind of dating.

A couple years after college, I was underway in my career, and I was dating someone who was still in school. Even with only a few years apart, that difference in where we were in our lives made a very uncomfortable power dynamic. It occasionally left me feeling like a father figure rather than an equal partner. I can only imagine how that would be even more significant now that I've had a successful career for over a decade, if I were dating an 18 year old now.

This lends the thought to me: what kind of person would seek out a relationship with that kind of dynamic instead of seeking someone who can be an actual partner? I can't think of anything that doesn't logically lead to conclusions in the vicinity of abuse.

If it's not really a relationship, but a consensual casual thing, then it seems less concerning to me. But if it's truly dating and an attempt to build a true relationship rather than being transactional, it certainly feels ethically darker to me.

I don't really care about Leo in particular, but the general concept of dating younger people seems like it opens an ethical gray area where my opinions are uncertain, or at least very situational.