“Too Much Mileage And Baggage When They’re Older”: 40-Year-Old’s Viral Tweet Urging People To Date Women Under 24 Backfires

Whatever your stance on Leonardo DiCaprio, the mega-talented Hollywood star, dating extremely blonde and disturbingly young partners under 25 is, you can't deny the unpleasant aftertaste of reading headlines about it. At least Leo isn't sprouting misogynistic, “alpha male” wisdom like his (much) less talented male counterparts like to do.

If you're wondering what we're on about, Ben (@shadesofgame), the "i understand the game" womanizer, is a prime example of this. Few days after boasting about his streak with barely legal-aged, possibly A.I. generated girls on Twitter, the Andrew Tate wannabe went viral with almost 14 million views as of writing this. “Too much mileage and baggage when they’re older than that"? At least, people saw right through Ben's 'fake it 'till you make it' attitude and made his toxic masculinity boomerang back at him, making this one of the most entertaining tweets of last week.

One of the perks of social media is the ability to speak your mind and be heard. Of course, that is a double-edged sword, as we've learned the hard way in recent years. Sure, it gave a voice to previously oppressed communities like LGBTQ+, something that we all couldn't be happier about. And yet, the same opportunities were allowed for much louder disruptors, such as former US president Donald Trump or Alex Jones, the infamous far-right host of "Infowars."

Of course, everyone brings something to the table - either in the form of national chaos or conspiracy theories. Which is why, as of recently, Andrew Tate, the controversial influencer, has become such a prominent figure in the "alpha male" movement, inspiring a new generation of hyper-masculine gents. Something that we can already see by the likes of @shadesofgame, who has 'the game' figured out, whatever that means.

The most problematic aspect of the so-called "alpha male" archetype, then, is the promotion of toxic masculinity. As a culture, we have been all too accepting of the idea that being a "real man" means being tough and dominant in the past - a notion we were smart enough to shed off as a progressive society, thankfully.

The reality is that these ideas are not just harmful - they're pretty dangerous. By promoting hyper-masculinity and age-gap relationships, we are normalizing behaviors that can lead to abuse and other forms of violence. We need to start holding those who perpetuate these ideas accountable, whether it's through calling out problematic social media influencers or pressuring media outlets to stop glorifying these harmful tropes. Only then can we begin to shift our cultural norms and create a society where healthy relationships and positive expressions of masculinity are the norm.

Relationships with significant age differences, however, are not a new phenomenon, as they have existed for centuries. In the 1900s, couples had an average age difference that was twice as large as the gap seen in the year 2000. Historically, people from middle- and upper-class backgrounds were more inclined to marry someone considerably older or younger than themselves. This happens in our day and age too, of course. The age difference between Emmanuel Macron, the current president of France, and his wife Brigitte, for example, is an eyebrow-raising 24 years.

The reasons why older men prefer to date younger women may be quite obvious. But the motivations behind women engaging in such relationships are still shrouded in mystery. "Women seeking older men, and depending on their age, may be looking for greater maturity than they find in men their own age. In the early dating years, this would mean a partner who isn’t going to put them through the emotional ups and downs of someone in their teens or even 20s," Susan Krauss Whitbourne, a Professor Emerita of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, told Bored Panda in an email.

It might explain, then, why 56% of younger women prefer dating older men, according to one study. This may suggest that there are benefits to these types of relationships beyond the age difference alone - some of which date back to early ages. As Professor Madeleine Fugere, the author of "The Social Psychology of Attraction and Romantic Relationships" explained to Grazia magazine, men are primarily concerned with ensuring that their potential partner is capable of reproduction, while women tend to prioritize factors such as an older man's financial stability.

Nonetheless, it is important to note that relationships with significant age differences can come with their own set of challenges. "Younger women may want to have children but their older partners may not, or may already have children. Other entanglements for the older man can be related to having to support their exes and their own children," said Whitbourne. "When the couple gets older, there will be additional challenges based on the greater likelihood that the older man is statistically more likely to have a chronic disease, which can thus limit their ability to engage in similar activities."

One might even argue that couples with bigger age gaps between them might not get on the same page when it comes to culture - something that has been explored by films such as 'Liberal Arts' and 'The Five-Year Engagement'. I can see where this would be a problem if the age gap comes with a power differential," Whitbourne argued. "It’s also possible that generational differences influence their preferences in music, lifestyles, or even political values."