why can’t celebrities leave kids alone?

[@AmandaTodhunterOfficial]

Go to san.com/amanda to check out Straight Arrow News! You can visit through my link or download the app.

[@rajay7288]

Celebrities feel as if just because they have higher social status than normal people they shouldn't be held accountable for their vile actions.

[@Icvnt]

It’s stupid because they are in the spotlight 24/7 like how do they expect NOT to get caught??

[@rajay7288]

@@Icvnt Right like you can tell dat they don't care and that's why I don't believe none of their apologies....

[@yoursalwaysliyah]

@@Icvnt when you think about it many celebrities do get caught but many also don’t face the repercussions for it. i mean woody allen is the first that comes to mind. he literally married his step daughter.

[@SuperPhunThyme100]

But...why are they attracted to kids...?

[@bbarbraLotus]

well they aren't so they are right to think so 0:30

[@Heqrtstrvck]

the amount of celebrities that deliberately go after literal kids for a power trip is absolutely insane, it really is a bad year to be a minor lmao

[@sofimofii]

kokomi

[@awts..7954]

tbf, it's better than the 70s 💀

[@divyaanshverma8304]

​@@awts..7954 And 70s were better than 30s hahaha

[@freyamehrab]

drake is not a pedo

[@Heqrtstrvck]

@@sofimofii yepppp

[@Movebih]

Finally someone said it. 😭 Why do they keep not only engaging with minors but PURSUING them if they see what is happening to other celebrities??

[@valolafson6035]

They think it can't happen to them. And sometimes they're right.

[@shaelin-]

as a 23 year old high school teacher, I see the difference everyday between teenagers and somebody in their 20s. the level of maturity and life experiences are totally different and very noticeable, even 4 or 5 years at that age makes a huge difference. my rule is that if they can’t go to a bar with me, they’re too young for me. why would you want to be with somebody who can’t legally drink or rent a car? I don’t understand how people much older than I am can’t seem to get how predatory it is to pursue teenagers.

[@amandaking9527]

I’m also 23 the idea of dating someone under 21 just feels SO icky. Because there is a power imbalance when it comes to alcohol and the experience of going to bars. I look back when I was like in college before turning 21 and I’m like why were people so chill with buying me alcohol? I would not do that personally

[@prettyhatemachinexoxo]

Really shows how predators aren't usually creepy old men, it can be your own idols and it's disturbing to see how many of them are being exposed.

[@giantpinkcat]

Can't predators be both? Or... Anyone really?

[@to_ur_heart]

I choked when I heard “Tobey Maguire”. Like, WHAT?!

[@N0k4hara]

@@giantpinkcatyeah that’s what they are saying- that anyone can be a predator and not *just* the “discord mod” or “old man” kinda stereotype.

[@smartwater598]

It’s never east asian male aways yt or blck

[@Venuscore101]

@@smartwater598isn’t Taeil Korean?💀

[@accountname5626]

KZbinrs trying NOT to touch kids challenge: Impossible

[@Amethyst._.Dragons1312]

Kris Tyson vs Colleen ballinger

[@Xesparaz]

I feel like people tend to forget that puberty is like a process that lasts through ur teens and that starts during the same age. It doesnt correborate with mental health and most humans brains finish developing in their mid to late 20s anyway if thats what u wanna consider as mentally developed.

[@zesty6781]

I agree but the “brain finishes developing at 25” is actually false/a MASSIVE reduction(as much as Im aware). The brain is always developing, and no matter what age u are u can learn new things, be manipulated/groomed, etc. but the thing with people under 25ish is that we’re developing extremely quickly mentally and socially. We are still learning how to navigate the world, and that’s what makes us extremely vulnerable to manipulation, our position socially and how overwhelming our mental development is Not mad or whatever, just become really disillusioned with this umm pop culture psychology fact and how it’s been used against like trans kids lol

[@ultimatequeenofdeath666]

⁠@@zesty6781real, if i remember correctly they ran out of funding around the time the sample group was 25 hence the articles all using 25 as the age the brain stops developing, they never proved that it stopped developing at all so when the findings were released that was all that was focused on in the attention that was brought to it by mainstream media, 25 seems to have no significance scientifically from what i can tell.

[@monbub]

@@zesty6781 you're right. the point is that the brain's development at 16 is nowhere near it's development at 25. but yes, we are developed enough to be adult by around 18-20

[@zesty6781]

@@monbub Ur right ur right 🔥🔥🔥

[@keyye4392]

What's particularly bothersome to me abt age of consent thats very low in certain countries(apart of it being low).. its almost always a few yrs lower for girls than boys. Girls get stripped of their childhood and innocence at an earlier age, with all the bs justifications basically amounting to " get them while they're fertile, its a short window of time ".

[@monbub]

It's utterly disgusting and I really hope someone speaks out about these laws soon. Even worse considering women are fertile until around their 50's. There's literally so much time in between those ages, so why 12? Why not a decade older? It's a pathetic excuse to abuse children, that's why.

[@CueLou]

I feel people forget the age of consent is not when you can have legal sexual relationships with someone, it is more of the recommended age where it is alright to have those sexual relations with someone YOUR AGE. Just because the age of consent could be 16 in your country, doesn’t mean it is legal for a 21 year old to go out of their way to have those sexual relations. It is set at 16 because it is believed that 16 year olds can consent with someone their age. PLEASE for the love of god anyone, if they use “the age of consent” as a way to get with someone under the legal adult age, TELL SOMEONE, that is not right. It may be different in other countries, but for many this is the general idea of The Age of Consent.

[@bri1024]

This!!

[@Ich-Existiere-Nicht]

Thank you!! I am so tired of this. In my country the age of consent is 14 but if a 21 year old f7cked a 14 year old he would go to jail. Age of consent means you can consent to people your age. That's it!

[@primevaltimes]

I get where you’re coming from morally. But concerning the legality of such relations, this is not correct. I agree that entering sexual relations when there is an unreasonably large gap in age is extremely frowned upon and may go against the spirit of the idea of consent, but if they are of age, then it won’t land you in prison or with a criminal record. That’s enough for some people, unfortunately.

[@10_L1ttl3Fru1tys]

I SO AGREE WITH YOU! also off topic But i love your nene pfp!!!😁

[@shawnnbits]

This is like a tumblr post. As gross as it is the age of consent literal determines the legality not maturity. Thats why advanced places like Japan have disturbingly low AoC

[@Magenta-maya93]

No trust me it’s always been like that! In the 70s, rockstars had groupies that were 13-14, while the dudes were in their 20s, 30s or older! There are songs, pics, and some were famous also! They were usually models. But they were young.

[@healingpoisonbreak9984]

Damn 😨

[@redjackal7823]

To be honest, I knew it’s been that way for a long time. It’s not a surprise. 🫤

[@monbub]

This. This is why I hate the culture of older rock bands and why I'll never ever worship an artist no matter how important their music may be to the development of culture. So many rockstars were terrible humans that indulged in drugs and underage s*x, as if the law could never touch them. And they were right- because of the pedestal society placed them on, they never went to jail for their crimes.

[@danicee]

Unfortunately, many "successful" adults tend to marry younger because of status. One person that I recently discovered that is dating someone more than 40 years younger than them is the lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He's 61 and his girlfriend's 20 years old 😬 In 1990, he was convicted for indecent exposure and sexual battery from an incident at George Mason University in 1989. The problem is that relationships are treated as transactional by many people, including fans, so it continues to be a thing they get away with because they pass it off as consensual.

[@jougjimmadome]

I knoooow finding out about him was really rough since I grew up on RHCP, I didn't even hear about the conviction but his girlfriend That He Has A Kid With being so young is gross on its own. I can at least still appreciate their music for the work put in by the other band members (though even that is tainted cause They Knew)

[@healingpoisonbreak9984]

I'm 21, and yes I like older men but by older men I mean a couple of years, not DECADES (never in 1 million. Goddess forbid) and I know what mentality a 20 year old possesses, so this situation baffles me in many ways.🚩

[@monbub]

Bro what that's gross

[@monbub]

@@healingpoisonbreak9984 EXACTLY! There's a difference between age gaps and what could be grooming, or an excuse to date the youngest person legally possible.

[@shoyohinata9646]

the question we’ve all been asking

[@kel.sharpe]

Another gross celebrity is Jesse Rutherford. He was 31 dating 20 year old Billie, however he had known her for years prior, well into her childhood; he had been best friends with Billie's brother, Phinneas, for a very long time which makes it even more gross. Jesse further played into this by dressing up like an old guy, while Billie was dressed as a baby.

[@rx500android]

This literally broke my heart when they started dating because The Neighborhood is one of my all-time favorite bands. Can’t have shit in Detroit 😭

[@kel.sharpe]

@@rx500android no same here! And now you just have me thinking of the triceratops meme that’s like “man I hate living in Detroit”

[@monbub]

He ruined the Neighborhood for me. Will forever hate him.

[@iluvwinter840]

FINALLY SOMEONE MADE A VIDEO ABOUT THIS! It's absolutely baffling how many celebrities and youtubers become groomers, this needs to be studied fr

[@kikinationforever]

Aye, also 21! I feel like culture is a part of it. I think age of consent, if it's going to be under 18, should mean that minors their own age should be able to experiment safely. Let's be honest, it's going to happen anyway, but we should be teaching proper consent, how to be safe, all the necessary topics. Age of consent shouldn't mean an adult can end up with a child. There should be better ways to protect minors from these situations. Proper education for one, adjusting to the times because times have changed, and parents, please make sure your children are not speaking to predators. I myself am not a parent, but I do have two younger sisters and I would hate for them to go through that.

[@thischannelisdead9]

Exactly!! I'm 16 and of the age of consent in my country. I don't plan on having sex anyway, but if I was it would be with another minor because we're younger, at similar life stages, not yet fully through with the lingering effects of puberty, and new to "the adult world". Anywhere from ages 16-21 is a transition imo, learning how the adult world works and what to do when we get there, it's an experiment that we should be able to experience with the other "test subjects" our age, so to speak. Age of consent isn't the only factor that should go into relationships. Are they in a drastically different life stage (I'm thinking school and first time having sex vs having 3 kids and stuff like that)? Are they old enough to have the other rights that you have (drinking, driving, etc.)? Do you view them as an adult, or are you after them because they have childlike qualities that you like? Are there any power imbalances in your relationship that could leave one of you vulnerable? There's so much, and the age of consent argument will never be correct.

[@kikinationforever]

@@thischannelisdead9 You have great points! I wish you luck in navigating life in your country. Hopefully you can do so safely.

[@thischannelisdead9]

@@kikinationforever Thanks!!

[@RedBanana_]

@@thischannelisdead9 This kind of thing is why I’m of the opinion that, for all I care, the age of consent could be, like, 15 *however* if the other person is 18 or older, then it should be illegal (with a few exceptions, for example if the people are within a year of each other’s age (eg: a 17yr old & an 18yr old). That way minors *should* be able to safely experiment with one another without being too concerned about adults being predatory.

[@bbarbraLotus]

That's what the age or consent is

[@mrs.yingles2022]

When I was 14/15 a guy messaged me on Facebook trying to "flirt" with me saying I was really pretty and, the classic, "you look too mature for your age". How old was he? 24! Even back then I found it gross because I always thought that women in their 20s were so beautiful... so why are you going after kids? I also had a good friend back in highschool that told me she had a boyfriend when she was 14 and he was TWENTY FOUR. Edit: misspelling

[@monbub]

I hope your friend is okay and that her "boyfriend" was caught

[@Sam-lc6vh]

What is even the point of having an age of consent if it’s 7? Do you expect me to believe anyone who thinks that’s okay would stop what they’re doing if the 7 year old said no?

[@moonsigil]

This guy is still worried about people in 1880 😭😭🫵🏻

[@marchforth3515]

I may have read this somewhere or it’s a theory I made up, so take it with a grain of salt BUT I believe it was that young because they didn’t have the resources to convict everyone who molested children; so they kept it to that young to minimize prisoners

[@RedBanana_]

@@marchforth3515 …I think that might make it much worse (no offence, but, I *really* hope that you’re wrong).

[@monbub]

THIS! Why 7? It's so low that the law is completely useless at it's attempt at protecting children.

[@jakerodriguez8869]

As soon as she said 10 or 12! My mouth dropped. And then7!!! I yelled out loud. “Oh hell nah!”

[@nicatina]

I'm 22 and I had men who are around my parents' age (40s to 50s) trying to ask me out and you won't believe how UNCOMFORTABLE I feel and they don't even realize (or maybe they do know) what kind of problems they're creating for others who knows me as well- they don't ask for my age, if I'm taken, what my sexuality and gender identity are, if I live with my parents or have roommates and etc. JUST NO QUESTIONS, all they see is young, small, and cute feminine afab and they think they can just creep on me whenever they want because I'm on my own with no one by my side at work or at any other places. I never understood these grown ass adults' mentality who are pushing 50 that thinks younger people in this generation are still interested in having big age gap relationship, it isn't that acceptable and/or preferable anymore to this day and age as we're all at a different stages in life and have nothing in common both mentally and emotionally. To those creepy predators out there - LEAVE YOUNG PEOPLE AND KIDS ALONE!! STAY AWAY FROM US!! WE DON'T WANT YOU NOR WE'RE INTERESTED IN YOU NOR CARE ABOUT YOU LIKE THAT!! Sorry but shit like this pisses me off so much.

[@feliciascorner9795]

I'm asexual. This is doubly confounding to me. At 30, I don't even think about possibly dating anyone who has recently graduated from college. Weird to me. But also weird that anyone could experience sexual attraction in the first place and be overwhelmed by it to the point all rational thoughts go out the window. What? That happens to people? And they think about CHILDREN? Excuse me? I'm also a teacher and am baffled by the amount of times during my teacher education and conferences I pay to go to for Continuing Education Credits, would bother to spend time on the concept of, "Don't have sex with a student." Like DUH. OBVIOUSLY! Wait why are y'all spending so much time on this? Is it really THAT fucking difficult? I don't understand! What do you mean that's difficult for some people? Then you add in abstinence education. We were taught about sex (well some things) but we also had a special section about why abstaining from sex until marriage should be the choice you make for your life. And my friends in high school talked about how difficult it was for them and their partners to keep those boundaries. I still see Christian Influencers talk about how dating was so fucking hard for them because they both agreed on limitations in their relationship to not tempt them to have sex. And I was like really? At this point I honestly should have known I was asexual, but absolutely nobody was talking about asexuality in the 2010s to my teen brain's knowledge. But Im baffled that people had rules like we can't lay down mext to each other, or can't be alone in a car together, or they wouldn't even kiss each other. What is going on?! You can't even kiss without that being overtly sexual? You can't lie down with your sides touching? Good lord! Only to eventually find out, I was the odd one out here. I've only had a few short times in my life where I felt the need to, "jump someone's bones." And the rest of the relationship was the other person trying to force me to feel like that again. Idk what to tell you chumps, it was a fluke. A special moment that you probably will never get back. Coworkers are shocked to here I'm not the least bit concerned with trying to find a new partner. Idk what to tell y'all, I got the super power. But people think that way about kids?! They want to "jump a kid's bones?" Fucking what? How do you even contort your brain into thinking that's fine or acceptable? What do you have in common with someone with that much distance between your ages? How? Just how?

[@MrLerio]

I AGREE. I read it all and it actually disturbs and confuses my brain to try and understand that perspective of being that way.

[@Qtopian]

Certain role plays and fetishes should be BANNED and condemned. It should be illegal. I dont care there should be a reason to sue and prn of that nature should not be legal. Too much prn is based on “taboo” things that are borderline illegal. Teen and barely 18 should not be a category at all

[@laurel7377]

As a current psych student the dsm thing is complete bullshit to me. Predatory thoughts of minors and people who should be far beyond your age range are taught behaviors. And you CAN control your thoughts to a certain extent. Most people have intrusive, disturbing thoughts in their life and those are near to impossible to control themselves. But its the reaction to the disturbing thought that matters. People who are predatory, violent, or manipulating often fall into a pitfall of their morality where they equate their morality to their actions taken. It is false. While yes, if you never act on something bad, you're not guilty of doing anything wrong, but it doesnt mean you're automatically a good person either. Terrible people will have a awful thought of something and their excuse is that as long as they never do it, its fine if the thought occurs. They are essentially moving the goal post for their internal morality by justifying their bad thoughts as natural. But thoughts increase in intensity as they appear more often. So when a person with disturbing thoughts keeps moving the moral goalpost, they can eventually find themselves commiting awful actions in real life and justifing it in their minds. Ever heard the excuse, "They were asking for it with what they were wearing", "I can't help my poor impulse control", "It's okay, they're old enough to consent to that"? It is a real life manifestation of their skewed moral sense that is also sometimes even amplified by other people also justifying it for them too. If you have disturbing mental thoughts of your own and are trying to learn how to deal properly with them, then first, seek a mental health professional with expertise in your specific struggle. Then, try some of these mindfulness exercises: -Keep a record of your disturbing thoughts of what it was, when it happened, and how you felt when you had it. - Try and imagine what these thoughts would look like as a physical embodiment. You can picture them as a person, a monster, a object, an entity, or anything, as long as you remove yourselves from it. Try and imagine yourself as how you would defeat or destroy those thoughts, like a knight, a police officer, anything. Then, as these thoughts arise, imagine yourself vanquishing them. - You can use negative reinforcement to help. If you identify your problem thoughts, you should try to train yourself to pause after you catch yourself thinking it, then tell yourself, "No. I don't want this thought. This thought is harmful/evil/disturbing/etc, this is why, and it has no place in my mind." You can also do something like snapping a rubber band on your wrist to help with the reinforcement. -Use positive reinforcement too! When you've properly told yourself "No, I'm not thinking that thought, and I don't want it", reward your reaction. This helps you mentally to pair the negative reaction to a good thing. The thing to remember is that this isn't reinforcing the disturbing thought, its when you've used your mindfulness skills to discourage the thought. These mental mindfulness exercises can work for thoughts of harm towards others, predatory thoughts, and a lot of other things. They can even work on thoughts of self harm, anxiety, and depression. BUT note that self harm, anxiety and depression are NOT an indicator of your morality and you should NOT associate them with guilt or morals, because they are FUNDEMENTALLY different from harmful thoughts towards other people where an association with morality is needed to invoke more empathy towards other people. And importantly remember: you're NOT a bad person if you have disturbing thoughts and you're actively trying to do something to fix them. You should praise your morality and your mental fortitude for catching something bad and wanting to fix them. The problem only lies if you let those thoughts slide by and excusing them.

[@susudraws]

European gal here; my country has the age of consent set as 15 (which actually in other EU countries it can be as low as 14 and high as 17); and I agree we can talk semantics about puberty; some go through it all as early as 12; but as 22 year old; someone in high school below 20 is a no-no for me; for the most simple thing that possible "high school love interest of mine which would be 1/2 my age+ 7 that's 18", the person is in school, they just try to find themselves and in Poland they would be a year before the End Exam and picking a university; meanwhile me, 22, I already have university and plan and I know "my plan" would influence the 18 year old; because frontal-lobe for them is not even done cooking; so they would follow after me to the other end of EU and it makes me absolutely ballistic; because that hypothetical situation in real life would happen; and when it happens it's just a pure disturbance of the growth of this young person by the adult. Sure as 22 my frontal lobe hasn't finished developing yet; so some would consider that "you're still young and naive till 25", but looking at my journals from the time I was 18; I am way less destructive; less careless and less impulsive with my money; clothes; words - comparing to the 18yo who could spend money on Gacha games because of the newfound power of payment card being in my name; I spent 500 USD at 18; while at 22 I can tell you I spent only 10 USD on Honkai SR this year and last year I spent 5usd on Blessing n Genshin ONLY. But again; 4 year difference between 18 and 22 makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE; that wouldn't be a difference had it been like 24yo and 28yo; but I can't imagine the jump that would be a relationship between a 60yo and 18yo.

[@limatoo9281]

German here age of consent is 14 but only for relationships with people the same age (I think up to 16). And then you get basically another age of consent at 17 and then a third at 18. So it's split into age groups where it's okay. Also gotta add that these relationships then are restricted not only age wise but I think the two teenagers also need consent of the parents for the relationship and all that. So yes it seems low but I think it's still fine.

[@susudraws]

@@limatoo9281 then it's better than I thought for you; because in Poland it's just 15, and there is no restriction that the other person should be max 2 years older or the "consent from parents" by law; no a 15 can date a 40 -year-old and legally have s*x with him and that wouldn't be considered as SA on minor even when she IS a minor; can't drink; can't take out a loan; can't drive a car; but can consent to sexual activity and give birth to a child; that's alarming for me.

[@limatoo9281]

@@susudraws 100% agree that's crazy. I think it's weird in general when laws like this contradict themselves like yes you can drive a car by yourself but drink beer? No way. Reminds me of that. Like a minor is suddenly extremely responsible and self aware in specific situations only.

[@Cjaj2]

I'm 23 years old and I couldn't see myself Dating someone younger than like 21. I don't understand how people my age can go after like 18/ 19 year olds I can see such a stark difference in maturity and experience between myself and them I can't even imagine going after someone younger.

[@MarcosSantos-dj6lk]

but 23 with 19 years is not a problem at all is not that far

[@patricklauer4452]

I’m 23 too and yeah I would feel weird being around someone in their late teens because their still kinda like kids I know because I was still really childish around that age range lol

[@nicatina]

​​@@MarcosSantos-dj6lk So? It may not be far but those two different age gaps are clearly at a DIFFERENT PLACE IN LIFE. A 19 year old is either a senior in high school or starting/attending college and a 23 year old is already graduating from college and is working at a professional field or has been out in the adult world for like what 2-3 years? It's all about the mental maturity too. They still don't have anything in common and I say this as a 23 year old woman who wouldn't date a 19 year old and I refuse to be the one who's in control of the relationship. I date people who are at the same pace as me and we're both equal. I stg you people don't bother to wake up to reality and use your head for once and still refuse to do so.

[@MarcosSantos-dj6lk]

@@patricklauer4452 19 is not little kid wtf

[@MarcosSantos-dj6lk]

@ypp0p not all people grown so fast in 3 years, depends of your class financially. You talking more about your experience probably doesn't applied to everyone

[@sobekmania]

A lot of it has to do with power. Most idols who pursue these kinds of relationships know that they won’t face any serious repercussions because of their elite status. A lot of the influencers who’ve been exposed as predators (i.e. Colleen Ballinger and James Charles) haven’t faced any legal repercussions despite the evidence of their wrongdoings, and they’re able to remain somewhat relevant as a result. It’s even worse with celebrites: Sean “Diddy” Combs has managed to avoid a legal case despite all of the accusations of sexual trafficking against him. It’s sick.

[@please_im_a_staaar]

My thing is how can you not be attracted to people your age? You grew up during roughly the same time, familiar with the same kind of pop culture, you're in the same place in life... You have more in common. People who want to date much younger (below 25 all the way to teens) get off on the power imbalance. They want someone they can manipulate, someone "innocent" aka inexperienced in life to clock the bullshit and abuse. Also i'm just gonna say that people who get off on dating barely legal 18 year olds are the same people as those that date teens... The only difference between them is that they perhaps aren't as willing to risk it and end up in jail so they found a loophole which is our flimsy law. "How can I still date an immature, inexperienced, easy to control and manipulate person without going to jail? I'm gonna date 18yo!". You don't actually become an adult at 18. You don't gain life experience and maturity from ages like 17 to 18. As Trixie Mattel once said "stop f**** them kids".

[@alixgold]

As soon as you said he was the dad from Andi Mack my jaw dropped and I knew where it was going…

[@jakerodriguez8869]

I’m 27 years old and I’m dating around and if I even get the word TEEN in your age I’m walking the other way. I have some friends that will say “bro she’s 19 it’s okay!” And I question them for a min tbh. Idk but nineTEEN doesn’t sit right with me, on some occasions even 20. IF I can’t go out with you to a nice restaurant bc it’s 21 and over after a 9pm bc she’s not even 21 bro lol math ain’t mathing

[@obara7366]

What ive learned from all this is just in general, there are so many pedos around us in society. It's just the visibilty and scrutiny of celebrity that exposes so much.

[@chrisytu]

for my two cents when i was 18 i was young and naive and looked for older guys. and the 24-26 year old men all said the same things like that im so mature for my age and im sure they werent talking about my personality. and they never mentioned how big of a difference on the stage of life we were on like i was a freshman in college while they had their career jobs. they seemed to live vicariously through me hearing my stories as a youngin. even at 18, 21 is too old. but yea i didnt see that back then

[@jow2716]

I am no expert at all, but I've always thought the answer to the Why is "innocence" (which... yuck! 🤮for sure) like, young people are more easily manipulated and naturally starry-eyed because they haven't experienced the world yet (they haven't had relationships and time to figure out what they like/dislike, etc.), in short: they are more easily malleable to become what the older person wants/needs them to be. Granted, it's a generalization, of course -- not everyone is like that and there are some people who seem to have a strong sense of self from a very young age, but it's not the majority: Teenage years are usually the time where children "try out" different types of personality and push the boundaries of society to see exactly how and where they can fit in the world. I would say it is an especially vulnerable age because of that (they think they know everything and fail to see the danger bc they don't have enough experience to recognize the red flags or say stop if they get uncomfortable). That being said, I am not against age gap relationships as a whole -- so long as everyone is a consenting adult and there is no physical/mental abuse obviously. Statistically, will any of those relationships last long term? Probably not, for the vast majority. But you have a right, even as a young adult, to make your own mistakes (sometimes dead-end relationsips are a part of it, and you learn and grow from them just the same) -- no one should take that away from you or feel the need to express their judgment in your face (I'm thinking of what had happened to Florence Pugh and her now ex bf Zach Braff). Overall, a very insteresting video and a fascinating topic, thank you! 🥰

[@lotus_saturn4208]

I think that celebrities and influencers have a certain degree of power, they are more likely to abuse it.

[@Ohmygod_neilciccerega]

2:28 Why. Why would anyone in any time period genuinely want to set it that low. Why.

[@myuinz]

i remember this tiktok coming on my feed of a girl that was 16? i believe getting ready to go to a club and lie about her age so she could meet up with older men and her friends. and she was complaining how she wanted to hang out with older people and that it’s more ‘fun’ and such and it was just crazy to me! i couldn’t enjoy my childhood for many reasons and had to grow up quite fast so i felt way too mature compared my peers at a young age. and honestly, i would be happy to enjoy anything from my youth or be treated as my age. anyways, i just felt sad this girl was putting herself in such a dangerous situation. i’m not saying every man or older person is a predator of some sort, but she should be able to enjoy being her age without putting pounds of makeup to look older and try to attract older people. she first off, shouldn’t even be going to a club and drinking at such a young age! and second off, it’s sad none of her friends told her how bad of an idea it was, hell even her parents!?!

[@Maxine1418]

My friend thinks Leonardo DiCaprio is so hot I think that’s gross but I make jokes sometimes about “hey a few more years you’ll be on his potential gf list”she’s like “yes please 😍” uh sis that is NOT a good thing 😭

[@nicatina]

If that happened to me, I'd be like ain't no way I'm paying for his medical health bills nor am I attending his funeral for dying first at this young age, it's too early for me to endure that when it comes to being in a big age gap relationship, like forget it. 💀 He needs to find someone his age or just give up dating.

[@feliciaroseantonia]

I just turned 25 less than a week ago & its crazy to think that even i would be considered "too old" for him 💀 Stanzi Potenza's KZbin Shorts skit about him "window shopping" for "potential future girlfriends" (the comedy sketch with the parents & their newborn baby in the hospital) is hilarious; I saw it again yesterday which made me think about this

[@limatoo9281]

​@@feliciaroseantoniaStanzi mentioned👀👀❤️

[@doodlebug1820]

The culture “for the last hundred years” … actually its been much much less. Pop culture for example pushed age gap as OK massively all thru the century Especially the 70s when rock stars having teen girlfriends was thought of as normal. The 80s didnt change much , and still the culture still does to some extent like in Transformers a literal kids movie where the director has several dialogues arguing the age of consent down. From Jerry Lee Lewis to Elvis to R Kelly the culture looked away. I knew someone who was married at fifteen which was legal with parents consent in the 80s in some states (maybe still is). I feel like the only real change in culture is the past ten years with Gen Z and Millenials on social media calling this out.

[@alwaysrootingfortheantihero123]

child marriage is still legal in a lot of states

[@Prior2Popular]

It’s definitely the power they have over someone younger and possibly the “taboo” of it all might even thrill them. Like, purely because it’s wrong, to them it may be more exciting? To me, that seems the most likely.

[@princesserika9899]

From what I've learned from Psy2Go, I feel like the reason why adults keep going after kids is because of their addiction to... the p-word, their constant desire for sheer lust or anything that is too adult, and that addiction not only affects them mentally and physically because of the urges but also affects the brain how they perceive and view others. That's also what I've learned in my school about abstinence and the effects of lust, so yeah, I still find this issue rather problematic and disgusting 😃

[@theharmthegoddess]

The grandpa had me jaw dropped I can’t believe ppl. And I’m 100% how you feel Amanda that’s exactly how I would discuss this topic too

[@shadycatz85]

Hot take: obviously the vast majority of people doing this is men. That's the stats, there's no two ways about it. And a lot of men just do this stuff if they have an ounce of power. It's not just fair and celebrity, but religious groups, teachers, bosses, etc. Any position that provides power. And of course, age is a form of power in itself. I've lost count of how many women I know that were abused by older men as teens, I myself was preyed on. I think people nowadays are afraid to mention the stats, but 93+% of child sex offenders being male can't be ignored for the sake of "equality". A lot of men aren't avoiding minors because of morals, but because of law, and if they think they can skirt around the law, they will try to.

[@mittag983]

Men are just attracted to children especially young girls

[@fullsundoll]

As a 20 year old, about to turn 21, I can’t imagine going for someone younger than me. I’m a junior in college, and college freshmen feel like babies to me. I can’t even imagine entertaining the thought of going after a high schooler or middle schooler OR CHILDREN. These people are insane. There is absolutely no reason any grown person should feel attracted to someone who doesn’t have a fully developed brain yet. You’re taking advantage of someone who (in my country) can’t buy a house, can’t have an independent bank account, can’t get married without parental consent, etc etc. You can’t do any of these things in my country when you’re under 21. In fact, the age of adulthood in my country was only changed from 21 to 18 in 2014. Until 2014, 18-20 were still considered minors. Like what is SO appealing about someone who is barely independent? The power you have over them? What does a person with an underdeveloped brain who still depends on their parents have that a fully independent person with a fully developed brain doesn’t have? I remember when I was in 8th grade (7 years ago), one of my friends took me to a hangout that was kind of sketchy. It was on this secluded road behind a popular hangout spot for teens with restaurants and cafes and shit. When we got there, there were a bunch of college kids and my friend introduced them to me as her friends (we were 14 and they were 20), and they were drinking and offering us drinks. I refused, because drinking is a big no for me and my family, but one of the girls there (also my friend’s friend) was completely DRUNK. My friend then tells me that one of those college kids was dating that girl. Again, the guy in college was 20 and the girl was 14. I literally got so scared of the whole situation so I hid in the bathroom and asked my mom to come get me (my friend refused to leave with me). 7 years later I still think about this girl. I wonder how she’s doing. She’s 20-21 now, and her “boyfriend” is 26-27. As a psych major I was like 80% sure that it has to do with power imbalances but now that I watched this video I actually want to do more research on this topic.

[@s.ekkii_]

how can someone see a kid and say "mmmh pretty"?????

[@accidentalbowl]

This is such a well done video. THANK YOU for spelling this issue out with true psychological evidence and analyzing this beyond "it's wrong cause we know it's wrong!!"

[@Dandy_Doodles]

I literally read the title and said “why is that so real?”😭

[@emily.7777]

GIRL I NEEDED THIS

[@caseywiththehat9018]

I'm so glad that so many celebrities are being like successfully ruined and chased out of the spotlight for being creeps towards minors because it seems like for a while they would just vanish for a bit then return like nothing happened. When I was a kid, the only time it seemed like someone permanently got canceled for being a weirdo was Doug Hutchison who married a 16 yr old when he was like 50-something.

[@jy6944]

No joke recently I was thinking about this topic. I was like why have so many influencers and celebrities been caught doing inappropriate things with minors? Is there an uptick or has it always been happening but it’s just been brought to light more recently? But in general, it just blows my mind how these grown adults can do things like this. So disgusting.

[@chane11ee7]

As Gabbie Hannah...weirdly...stated, children are like the 'forbidden fruit'. These celebrities/influencers have everything they could ever want, need or desire. Unfortunately, this makes them drawn to the things they 'cannot' have. What is forbidden. Fame and money has allowed corruption into their hearts that they no longer have any morals. They have already filled their minds with so much perversion based on what they have been exposed to throughout their journey to fame. This no longer feels wrong to them. And even if it does, it only adds to the thrill and adrenaline rush. Perhaps just to 'feel something'. Either way, I believe that a majority of the Elitists or the super rich are secretly paedophiles deep down.

[@natkoh4435]

firstly, i’d like to mention how scared kids and teens would be, knowing that they grow up in a society where such disrespectful crimes are being committed by ‘trusted adults’ or people they look up to. with no stable foundation of what, perhaps appropriate relationships, are supposed to look like, it could only sow more seeds of confusion and doubt, growing into something that could harm both them and their potential future partner. secondly, i saw a comment saying how having more power and thus less consequences would lead to such behaviours. but i honestly can’t wrap my head around how people can do such things that obviously aren’t morally right.

[@pemanilnoob]

Fun fact: today some random KZbin commenter called me a p-word because I said “it’s normal for a kid to have a crush on an adult, but it’s just weird if the adult is happy with it” So… yeah. Great to have someone target me with that stuff when there are so many awful people who need to be called out.

[@secretsound_]

Age of 7 was once the age of consent in Delaware? I was stealing pencils and crayons from kids and bullying them for having boogers come out of their nose

[@monbub]

To think of a child that young being the victim for abuse makes me really sad. They're so young they won't even know what's going on.

[@thirstyforh2o]

You know what’s even crazier? In most states, even though the age of consent laws are relatively high, adults can get legally married to a literal child in the US! Absolutely insane.

[@VeryChewyPoptart]

That’s insanely disgusting

[@kelseylelei]

the second u said “the grandpa from andi mack” i jumped because i vividly remember seeing on the news when that happened

[@punsiella]

i think they’ve become so far removed from a normal (normal being age appropriate and private) relationship that they often gravitate towards younger partners to feel something. how they sustain those kinds of relationships is something i always wonder, but i guess a pattern of this behavior is also relevant to trying to feel something (*cough* leo *cough)

[@neivilde.1242]

you showed the picture of the grandpa from andi mack, and i just went "oh no" knowing where the story was going lmao

[@nicatina]

To those disgusting predators out there who needs to another check of the law carefully with better readings because I know not all of them went to law school nor do they like reading and think they're above the law before they get caught: Age of Consent means giving you permission to do something at a certain age group and that law is also only created for certain age demographic to do something within in the same age demographic. Just because the AoC for sex is 16 doesn't equal a sixteen year old can have sex with a effing 45 year old, read the law again! It talks about how 16 can have sex but only with another 16 year old! You see? Reading the law isn't that hard, just a quick Google will do you some good.

[@Wonkothenormal]

Well depends where in the world you are. Some countries have a tiered sort of AoC and some has an absolute leagal threshold. In my country there was a big scandal when a politician had sex with a 16 years girl old and he was in his 30's back then. So since they both said it was consensusal back then he didn't he wasn't sentenced though he he was forced to step down from many political postions.

[@nicatina]

@@Wonkothenormal Why are you making excuses to justify illegal relationships. Stop normalizing and hiding behind the "It depends where you live!" it goes to show you didn't read my comment nor ever studied the law, I don't see what your country has to do with the original comment of mine when this goes for all countries in the world. Just using some story to earn brownie points. I don't see what kind of example is that. She was obviously groomed into saying that. How would you know that this didn't traumatized her? How can you NOT see the power age dynamic and how these two are both in a different stages in life and how different mental maturity? Where was her parents? How did they reacted? A 16 year old can't consent, she was clearly taken advantage of it. That 30 year old has no business in being with a teenager right from the very beginning, he has nothing in common with her and knows the shit he couldn't do to women in his own age group, so he was very aware of who we wanted to prey on. He has the mental maturity to do better, he just chooses NOT to. Also I'm glad that guy stepped down as he deserves it, should've gotten jail sentences. This is why countries like yours need better protection on kids and legalize abortion to stop producing nasty creeps like that ex-politician . 💀

[@boz3no676]

You've been killing it this year!

[@pranavnarayan9851]

That is a big bullet that you dodged, and he is the only reason why andi mack was cancelled 😢

[@curstinw6420]

I unfortunately think this has been an ongoing issue for CENTURIES ‼️☄️🚨🚩

[@chelseashurmantine8153]

It’s pretty insane about how much the “statutory” ages differ. The beginning of the book Lolita plays with the idea of “child” versus “youth” versus “teenager” versus “young adult” and so on.

[@Jaydavlogs-hy7cy]

I so angry that people do this

[@cizzle4203]

ngl, i’m not a fan of leonardo dicaprio, but as a woman in her early twenties, grouping leo in with a bunch of pdfs when he only preys on woman my age very much gives “let’s infantilize fully grown women!” and is kind weird lol

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

I am going to rant. So you are telling me that they are fine with putting a diagnosis of pedophelia in the DSM 5 when my disability, non verbal learning disorder has been taken out and people are fighting to keep it in. And child brides are still allowed in most states. I do not understand this country.

[@ziggyzoo9335]

If you can’t help being attracted to kids, then fair enough, but that doesn’t mean you should pursue them, they are still kids and don’t have the mental capacity or knowledge to give informed consent

[@hallecanon8749]

I’m surprised the United States even had an age of consent in the 1800s, even early 1900s, and it makes me sick to my stomach that it was once 14.

[@inkubator320]

Bro I'm 18 and wouldn't even date a 17 y.o.....

[@streetzomb69]

That’s far fetched… 😭 that’s literally only a year

[@nicatina]

I guess it's because they'd be out of high school by now and prefer to date someone in college or graduated from high school as long as they're 18. A 17 year old would either be in 11th grade or 12th grade. There are some exceptions to graduate early high school at 16 to 17 of course, but I guess it's not that common. ​@@streetzomb69

[@valmetcat8042]

When i was in like 10th grade an underclassman girl was having a relationship with a guy in university. The guy was just obviously a fucking freak. But the girl liked the fact he could buy her presents and he had his own place and shit. The other girls in her class were jealous of her. Such a gross situation.

[@JeskidoYT]

Not like us not like us not like us 👀

[@dimitree887]

SEVEN?!?!?!? SEVEN YEARS OLD?!?!?!?

[@mossyswife]

2024 is a bad year for minors

[@franziskakaffee5797]

regarding the age of consent: in germany it is alowed for teenagers to have sex with each other, but there is a differentiation with regards to age gap, so even if someone would be allowed at 14 to have sex with someone 16, that does not mean, an adult (above 18) would be allowed to sleep with a 14 year old. The is allowed age gap is 3 years for people under 18. So I was wondering, if the age of consent in differet state in the USA had similar regulations or wether it means, all adults would be allowed to have sex with a 14 year old, which is different than 14 year olds beeing allowed to have sex with 17 year olds.

[@volansrina]

omg girlll i just found out we have the same exact birthday 😭 happy 21st ! 🎉

[@ourangelaudrey3225]

The way Andi Mack was ruined and not watchable because of two men. Oof. Now back to the conversation. It's just weird I don't and can't believe the biological stuff like no.

[@feliciaroseantonia]

Wait, two men? I thought it was only one predator who worked on Andi Mack? Who was the other one???

[@NOTH1NGISREAL]

@@feliciaroseantonia same, i think it was the dad?

[@Z.A.N.E]

When I was younger, my understanding of the age of consent was moreso in terms of two minors interacting with each other and what age they had to be to do so. Aka I thought you had to he 16 before you could do anything explicit with another minor- any younger and its illegal. Turns out thats NOT how that works anr the closest thing to that is called the Romeo and Juliet law which is... Kinda wild but understandable?? Generally for most areas in the US it looks like consent laws say that a 3 year age gap among minors is alright if they engage in explicit behaviour AFTER having known each other for a considerable amount of time. (Ie: a 14 year old and 17 year old meeting for the first time and doing it is wrong, but if they've known each other for 6 years or something its not illegal) Just a weird topic altogether- and it doesnt even come close to answering my questions about celebrities rn

[@КГБКолДжорджКостанца]

Power dynamic pretty much.....its just....(sigh)

[@blairmcauley2497]

Hello Amanda I’m an actor and I’ve had done a lot of auditions over the years and I’m still auditioning but when I first started and had this dream I was so naive and got bamboozled by people who just want money or something from you so you are not alone I’ve learned from my mistakes and now I have an agent

[@dilanelysium5118]

I remember being active in the and mack fandom when the news about stoney came out😫

[@ImaniGermano]

When has Leo ever done anything to a kid? Are you calling 20+ year old women "children"?

[@starr.empress2]

The fact that social media is going through an era of romanticising age gaps ans trying to justify them only makes this worse, aswell

[@AliMeetsWorld]

They’re an addict. They always talk about it, think about it, yearn for it, can’t go a day without it. Say whatever like it’s good or bad but all I know is it’s predatory and addictive

[@agustinalima]

I too auditioned around 2018 for a role I might not have been the best fit for. There was a casting call for adult Leta Lestrange on Pottermore (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) and it was for adults who looked similar to the teen (16) who had played the role in the previous movie. Zoë Kravitz ended up getting the role. But me, as a 15-year-old white South American woman sent my application anyways. Even made my dad promise to let me live in New York if I got the role (he said yes). Still upset about that one, I really thought I'd get it despite being possibly the worst fit ever and sending my application well after the due date :(

[@DJonesIsKing]

I think that it's something that's kind of rampant and just hidden. And odds are high that there are going to be celebrities that have depravities like that too. Especially in crazy places like the many industries

[@fifteendozenalleyroses]

I feel like lumping Leonardo DiCaprio in with The James Charleses and Couline Balangers is a bit unfair. It’s not great but at least everyone he’s been with is a consenting adult

[@felixthefish]

I’m 17 (well about to turn 18) and some people might say it’s okay for me, as a 17 year old, to date a 16 year old. But that’s gross. I have graduated highschool, I have a job, and I’m enrolled in college. A 16 year old is a sophomore/junior in highschool. Even though they are roughly a year younger than me, it just curdles my stomach to think of me being in a relationship with a junior. I struggle in my friendships with rising seniors (despite many being the same age as me). There is just such a wide gap in priorities, knowledge, and experience. I doubt I could be in a relationship with them let alone somebody younger.

[@charlottesouth4170]

I’m gonna be so for real your Clapit story sounds a lot like a 🌽 trafficking scam to me.

[@penultimatosis]

Happy Leo seasssoonnnn

[@elliewolfe9197]

do u think that your ancestors were toad hunters and then eventually the ‘a’ got dropped and it became todhunter

[@tatianahernandez2865]

I honestly for a bit kept thinking Toadhunter was her name lol. I misread it the first time.

[@elled10024]

20:27 …the origin of the phrase “rule of thumb” is an interesting and adjacent topic.

[@youtubeperson2802]

right omg

[@SoraiaLMotta]

I think sa and p is never just about sex, if it was all those rich ps would use sex workers services, but it is about power and control. -- What 21 - 24 girls have that older women dont? Legal drinking age, may have looser ties with family / secure system, Finantial instability, desire to cease any carrier ladder, still have " ageist social hieriachy values". That actor know what he is doing, and hopefully this women do too.

[@sylviabellie4297]

I love that you made this video, because I've been asking the same questions. Yeah we all know there are horrible people in the world. BUT recently, I feel like everryyy KZbinr/famous person that gets called out, is guilty for SOMEthing relating to children/minors. So why are there sooo many people in the world who want to date/hookup with minors??? I knew that Pedophilia was something you're "born with" and can't change, but it gets sticky when you compare it to mental illness. For example someone that's diagnosed with a mental disorder might need help right? Like therapy or medications, but how do you help a pedophile?.. Is a pedophile that doesn't act on urges considered a good person?.. I just really dont know. I'm interested in the psychology but it seems like no one talks about it.

[@Xesparaz]

this is basically internet issues but from a chronically online person who researches internet stuff perspective (and for all the people who are online and clueless)

[@alwaysrootingfortheantihero123]

age of consent shouldn’t be lower than the age at which you are legally an adult. if you can’t vote or pay taxes or enlist in the military then people who can shouldn’t be with you.

[@marspIanet]

YOOOO!!! HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY!!! IM ALSO A LEO :D

[@ThorTheHusky2005]

You tell me.

[@emmetthowell899]

I'm 21 so half my age plus seven is 17-18 and to me that is too young. They are still in high school, I'm almost finished with my bachelors. The first year I was in college (19) I saw high school seniors touring the campus and even then I saw them and my reaction was 'who let these toddlers on campus'. Not only did they look younger, just the fact that they were in high school makes my brain think of them as children. Not to mention seeing 14-16 year olds, they look like infants. Thinking about people who see them in an inappropriate manner makes me sick, because I see it the same as them being 'technically' PDFiles. As soon as I turned 18 everyone under 18 became a child, and I became an adult, and then once I turned 20 anyone under 20 became a child, because they are still teenagers and i'm an adult-adult. Idk how that is hard for some people

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

For the people who condone this behavior makes me think that books and media has groomed them to think it is ok. Look at all the YA media out there especially the student/teacher storylines that romanticize this. Impressionable kids and teenagers latch onto this. Some mix up reality and fantasy which I think some of these predatory celebrities take advantage of and why it is easy to lure people in. It is disgusting.

[@lutacomigo8291]

I can't believe we have the same name and age and are both Leos 😭

[@britneybij3997]

*KENDRIIIIIIIIIICK!* Drop another diss track!

[@tinan1142]

The way my jaw dropped when you said who it was 😭!!

[@Fionas_planet]

2024 is a scary year to be a minor😭

[@streetzomb69]

Worst year to be 15 😭