Yes, I agree 18 isn’t a magical line in the sand, but its the best standard we’ve developed so far
According to Americans. Other countries don't share the same view and honestly I believe people think whatever line they're accustomed to is the best. When people say that the age of consent somewhere is 15 it doesn't necessarily mean people are having sex with 15 year olds like there's no tomorrow without punishment. It means that having sex with someone above 15 isn't INHERENTLY punishable but it can very easily turn that way because for these ages laws around power dynamics, abuse and coercion are especially strict.
That may be true, but I'm fairly confident in my position that a 15 year old is definitively a child. I don't think a person much older than that can have any kind of non-platonic relationship with them and have it not be predatory. I'm fairly confident in saying that the age of consent should be higher, even if 18 isn't actually the best one. I was under the impression that drawing the line at 18 is based on developmental psychology, but I could be mislead on that.
Anyway, what I am definitely confident in is drawing my own moral line at 18 (actually if I had a tinder Id set my lower age bar at 21). There's a 17 year old in a discord server I'm in that relentlessly flirts with me but I'm rebuffing her because of that line. Also when I was in my mid twenties and on tumblr I DIDNT follow that line and got in serious trouble getting called out for it publicly. As an autistic person, I need some sort of standard for behavior.
According to Americans. Other countries don't share the same view and honestly I believe people think whatever line they're accustomed to is the best. When people say that the age of consent somewhere is 15 it doesn't necessarily mean people are having sex with 15 year olds like there's no tomorrow without punishment. It means that having sex with someone above 15 isn't INHERENTLY punishable but it can very easily turn that way because for these ages laws around power dynamics, abuse and coercion are especially strict.
That may be true, but I'm fairly confident in my position that a 15 year old is definitively a child. I don't think a person much older than that can have any kind of non-platonic relationship with them and have it not be predatory. I'm fairly confident in saying that the age of consent should be higher, even if 18 isn't actually the best one. I was under the impression that drawing the line at 18 is based on developmental psychology, but I could be mislead on that.
Anyway, what I am definitely confident in is drawing my own moral line at 18 (actually if I had a tinder Id set my lower age bar at 21). There's a 17 year old in a discord server I'm in that relentlessly flirts with me but I'm rebuffing her because of that line. Also when I was in my mid twenties and on tumblr I DIDNT follow that line and got in serious trouble getting called out for it publicly. As an autistic person, I need some sort of standard for behavior.
It's good to have a set line for yourself.