Problematic Age Gaps in Romance Stories

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In attempt to make a non-controversial post, this is the most tame topic I could think of :roll_eyes: I really do enjoy shaking the table don’t I.

Something I’m sure I’m not the only one who has noticed is the incredibly large amount of stories available on the app that promote ephebophilia culture.

What the heck is Ephebophilia?

Ephebophilia is the sexual interest in mid-to-late adolescents (ages 15 to 19).

Woah. Woah. I know that’s a big bad word but hear me out.

I know technically an older person having relations with someone at the age of 18 is not illegal. But, in my opinion just because something is valid under the eyes of the law, doesn’t make it okay. This is not a debate on morality because I know it is all relative, and that would require a lot of mental energy, that I do not have, currently having dreadful flashbacks of attending ethics classes.

I’m not going call out or shame any authors directly, but I think we all know what story I’m talking about.Yes I’m abusing this feature, leave me alone. You all know, the one that has been read almost 50 million times, that features an 18 year old having relations with a grown man, ya that one.

Let’s not forget the power dynamics that are at play. It’s almost always the case that the love interest has authority over the main character. And while there may not be any signs of abuse evident in these stories, subconsciously this is conditioning young readers to think it is okay to enter a relationship with an authoritative figure while you remain powerless – especially a teacher.

I am really trying to understand. When I was younger, never was I ever taught from anywhere be it school, friends, family, books, television, that this is okay. I thankfully didn’t grow up in an environment that glorifies adult-teen relationships. Now, of course there are psychological explanations for this; childhood trauma being one of the many. But I do feel as it has surpassed this level and we have created a society that praises this harmful cliche.

We all know why the authors make stories like this, there’s really no need to go into that.

But what do you think makes stories like these so appealing to younger audiences? Does it stem from what kind of media younger teenagers are exposed to now? Or is it cultural? At what point did we normalize such relationships to readers who are at such an impressionable age?

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I just find it relevant and a real life motion that where they are finding it appealing.

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I think it’s just disgusting and disturbing. I don’t know why it’s encouraged and made so much.

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I know right, kids these days are dumb, they think stuff like this cute, and when they end up dead because of stuff like this not so cute, they get encouraged by these stories.

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I agree. Some age gap stories irritate me, especially teacher-student relationships, They’re not cute.

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So obviously we can’t hold children accountable. Who is responsible?

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I was thinking of those specifically as I was typing out this post, they disgust me to my core.

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I I find it children are to blame in this matter because they are allowing themselves to believe this is cute and they should be believing it’s not. And when they blame it on somebody else, they are not taking full responsibility, and well, without that you will never learn.

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Similar to other topics, I’d say it’s been glorified in the media, such as tv shows. But there are many factors besides the media, such as parents and others around them.
So personally, I don’t know who to blame. :thinking:

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Ehhh. I do agree that the readers themselves should take some responsibility, because at the end of the day no one is physically forcing them to read these stories. But I do think the ones who are creating the content in the first place should be held responsible as well.

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Agreed

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Ah if we’re talking about the creators of the story, then yes I agree. They write it themselves, so they are accountable. But prior to writing the story, they found it somewhere else. So basically, I agree.

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Just because something sells and works doesn’t mean we should continue to exploit kids in this manner. It’s one thing to over-sexualize the content on the app (which everyone including Episode themselves has taken part of) but it’s another to take advantage of their incompetence to tell right from wrong.

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I feel like we should blame the early 2 thousand’s generations because they are the one posting this… and they are making these bad decisions, that are reflecting on generation Z

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Correct

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Yep. All the blame most definitely cannot go on Episode writers. They got this notion that this sells from elsewhere.

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I honestly have no idea. They’re not cute and not romantic. I would never wish for that kind of relationship, ever.

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I completely agree.

Kind of like how in the Teacher two of the love interests are in their early to mid twenties. It’s dismissed because the MC is 18. :roll_eyes:

I’m 25, and I’d be pretty grossed out if one of my friends was dating an 18 year-old high schooler. What’s wrong with people our own age?

I see myself in a completely different place in my life than I see an 18 year old. Aside from being able to drive and vote, we really don’t have anything in common, especially when it comes to our life experiences.

The way I see it, dating an 18 year old really isn’t all that different from dating a 16 or 17 year old. It’s just legal.

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Agreed

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But to answer your question about it being appealing, I can only speak from experience.

In high school, I was never the pretty one, so I felt really desired when older guys gave me attention.

As an adult, I understand it’s predatory. But I wasn’t in a position in my life to understand that.

I think girls who read and like these aren’t there yet, and probably want to feel desired by these older men.

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