Do most older men prefer younger women?

[Chippingbird23]

Just wondering as woman what your thoughts are? Do you find it harder to date in 30’s or 40’s or have you found ‘true’ love later in life?

I joined a few dating sites when I turned 18.

A very large amount of men were over 45 that messages me

*messaged

Sadly I am not 18 anymore

I think it mostly depends on naivete.
Typically the older we get the higher the bar is and the tolerance for any fuckery lowers.
So older men go for inexperienced younger women because they couldn't get anywhere with older, wiser women.

My thoughts are: I don't care what men want, especially older men. The world doesn't revolve around them and their wants. I care more about my own wants...and how older men definitely don't meet them...

I think men typically place more importance on appearance when looking for a partner than women do.

Obviously not all 20 somethings are more attractive than women in their 30/40s but some are. I feel terribly shallow/rude saying that, but I do think some men think like this sadly. (Also, I’m ‘young’ but unattractive - the average woman in their 40s would get much more attention that me)

Plus it’s more socially acceptable for a man to date someone younger 🤷‍♀️ If they’re not mature enough to settle down with kids etc in their 30s, they can delay it a bit, then find a younger partner.

While I do agree that men can be shallow, I don't think you can tar them all with the same brush. Obviously some men will prefer younger women. Some women prefer younger men!

It’s hard to generalise. DH has a few divorced friends in their 50s, and I’d say half of them tend to date younger women, but more mid-30s than 18 year olds. The ones that have partners the same age tend to be dating long term friends, rather than women they’ve met from online dating.

I think online dating probably skews things because some blokes are like ‘I’d never fancy a woman over X years!’ and it becomes a bit of a numbers game rather than finding real chemistry.

I find that the older I get the more 'interested' young men are (flattering for me but Im happily married) I'm late 50s and I'm not sure if young men are frightened of the commitment a young woman would be looking for or if they just see any woman as 'fair game'?

As for older men I think a younger woman is simply not that 'challenging', all a man needs is money.

It's about 50/50 with my friends, some of them prefer to date younger women and some prefer their own age.

The ones who date within their own age group seem to want a partner who has a similar life experience so they have more in common.

Most of the couples seem pretty happy

@TheVolturi

While I do agree that men can be shallow, I don't think you can tar them all with the same brush. Obviously some men will prefer younger women. Some women prefer younger men!

^this

There was a 55yo ex supermodel in the news earlier this week saying she can’t find a good man, because men her age want women in their 30s. She was getting asked out by men in their 70s and unsurprisingly she wasn’t interested.

On a personal level I can tell you that no man has expressed an interest in me since I was in my early 30s. Probably because most of the decent ones are already married.

I remember seeing this research a few years ago:

metro.co.uk/2019/02/22/men-regardless-age-will-always-attracted-women-early-20s-8718590/

For women, the average ideal age changed with their own age, for men, it never reached more than 24.

Pretty depressing. As others have said I would think it's based on presumed looks and power, with the male assumption being that younger women are likely to be slimmer, more attractive and less worldly/more easily pleased than older women. There is definitely a status to having a young woman as a partner.

@MsJuniper

I remember seeing this research a few years ago:

metro.co.uk/2019/02/22/men-regardless-age-will-always-attracted-women-early-20s-8718590/

For women, the average ideal age changed with their own age, for men, it never reached more than 24.

Pretty depressing. As others have said I would think it's based on presumed looks and power, with the male assumption being that younger women are likely to be slimmer, more attractive and less worldly/more easily pleased than older women. There is definitely a status to having a young woman as a partner.

Pretty depressing

IRL and online dating I found that all men, not just older men, wanted younger women. Trying online dating in my 30s/ 40s I found the only men that showed interest were a minimum of 10 years older than me and sometimes 20-30 years older. They weren't George Clooney either.

Eventually, in my mid 40s, I met a man four years older than me through friends of friends. But I do find it disappointing that men who are older, who don't want children, will only consider women younger than them. You can be drop dead gorgeous and look ten years younger than you actually are, but they just aren't interested. I suspect it's because they know you won't put up with their bull.

In general yes I think they do prefer younger women.

While I do agree that men can be shallow, I don't think you can tar them all with the same brush. Obviously some men will prefer younger women. Some women prefer younger men!

Of course, not all men (or women) will think the same obviously. Kinda goes without saying…

But I think it’s slightly naive to ignore how it’s men who are more likely to shallow and prefer to date younger. Especially older men, whereas older women are more likely to prefer men of a similar age (I remember seeing the study app mentioned too)

Purely based on my bias life experience, but it’s so common for men I know in their late 30s+ to date someone younger (if they’re not already in a relationship with someone of a similar age). I don’t know half as many couples where the woman is significantly older

I'm 50 and soon realised OL dating is full of men in their mid 50's who want a woman aged maximum early 40's
They seems to have magic mirrors as what they think of themselves compared to the reality is worlds apart

I find IRL men are more liable to speak to and date women more their own age whereas OL they seem to be more deluded

I think a lot of men, whether they admit this or not, prefer younger women but it isn’t for the reasons you’d think. I think they prefer younger women because they’re more likely to be insecure and willing to put up with their shit.

The older women get, often the more secure they are within themselves and the less likely they are to accept a man’s bollocks.

Online dating is simply a numbers game to most people. Thinking oh I don't want her she's over X years old, whereas woman tend to consider other qualities rather than just appearance and age...

@MissCruellaDeVil

Online dating is simply a numbers game to most people. Thinking oh I don't want her she's over X years old, whereas woman tend to consider other qualities rather than just appearance and age...

And height.....

Tbh if DH and I were to split up, I'd probably only be interested in dating younger men - I find that most men over 40 are quite grumpy and unappealing (I'm mid-40s).

I do think they do prefer younger women but obviously not all men but i do believe its a good proportion.

I did find it very depressing when we had an electrician round lately and dh was showing him some colours of tiles we were having in the bathroom and dh said he didn't think the colours he had chosen would “date”. The electrician replied… no its just the wife that goes out of date! 😲

I was thinking today. I'm 41 and I have very 2 young children, but say DH was no more, I can't imagine dating as by the time I was out of the clingy nappy stage of my kids, I'd probably be hitting the menopause. I can't imagine men even the ones who don't want any more children want to go for a menopausal women over a fertile young one. It really is depressing, not that I live to be attractive to men, but I think something did happen I'd stay single.

From my experience with dating sites when I was in my late teens and early 20s there were lots of men in their 40s who contacted me.

I think aesthetics is more important to men than women in general; men seem to be visually aroused by taut skin, athletic figures, perky breasts, slim waists etc. Youth indicates fertility in women so from an evolutionary perspective maybe men are hard wired to be aroused by women in their teens and 20s as appose to mid 30s when fertility declines rapidly.

Also women in their 30s and 40s often have kids and many men don’t want to take on the role of stepfather.

Women often seem to be turned on by males with alpha personalities, high earning potential, ability to provide etc. From a basic perspective. Of course not the same universally.

I’m not saying this is the case for everyone just a generalisation.

Not all men. I have a friend who prefers to date women either 20 years older or younger. He’s a bit of a knob so I use the term friend lightly here. All the relationships he’s had with women his own age have ended badly - I think because they expect an equal partnership and he’s a closet misogynist. The older women mother him and the younger look up to him. He likes the power dynamic in those relationships. He’s currently with a woman much younger than him and seems happy.