Redditor asks if 5-year age gap in relationship is too much: ‘That depends’

Is a five-year age gap too much for a relationship? A Redditor wants to know.

Creeped out by their partner’s constant jokes on the subject, a person asked Reddit if the five-year age gap is too big. They didn’t mention their own age or their partner’s, which left suspicious Redditors with more questions than answers.  

The individual posted on Reddit’s “Relationship Advice” forum to take a poll on what should be considered an acceptable age gap in a relationship. 

In the post, the author wrote that their partner is five years younger than they are and teases them about their age difference.

“She’ll jokingly say things like, ‘You were in your first year of university when I was in grade 8,’ and it makes me feel like a creep. But then I see people with 10-plus year gaps [who] don’t feel so bad [about it],” the author disclosed before asking what’s considered an appropriate age gap

How old are the people involved?

Reddit users quickly pointed out that it would be difficult to answer the author’s question without knowing the ages of the people involved. 

“That depends. How old were you guys when you first met?” inquired one Redditor. 

“I’d feel a lot more comfortable answering the question if OP [original poster] had actually included their ages,” another person agreed. 

Others felt that while five years generally isn’t a significant age gap, it really depends on what phase a person is in their life. 

“I think the rule should be: Are you in the same general stage of your lives? Like a 25-year-old shouldn’t be dating a freaking 18-year-old,” one person noted. 

Some Reddit users approached the question from a more mathematical perspective. 

“Half your age plus 7 years was always a standard [from] way back when. Not sure if it’s still relevant,” someone mentioned. 

“It depends on how old you are. If she’s 18 and you’re 23, it’s a little creepy. But if you’re 30 and she’s 25, it’s not such a big deal. Five years is absolutely nothing once both of you are over 30,” another Reddit user stated. 

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