Rise of the boy toy! Why older women are dating Gen Z men at record rate
Hollywood has romanticized the boy toy for decades.
It was most recently shown in Zac Efron (36) and Nicole Kidman (57)’s on-screen affair in the Netflix romcom A Family Affair and in Anne Hathaway (41) and Nicholas Galitzine (29)’s film The Idea of You.
Research has shown that this age gap is clearly visible in our daily lives, as millennial women discover that younger Gen Z men are more emotionally available, show more admiration, and feel less competitive than their older peers.
More than half of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 reported seeing more benefits in dating or marrying someone 10 years older or younger. Pictured: Cher (78) and her 40-year-younger boyfriend, Alexander “AE” Edwards (38), left, and Madonna (65) and Josh Popper (30), who have a 36-year age gap (right).
More than half of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 say they see more benefits in dating or marrying someone 10 years or older than them.
Physical attractiveness, emotional maturity and financial freedom were cited as the top reasons.
The Ipsos poll found that 74 percent of women who dated younger men were more sexually satisfied and experienced more pleasure and enjoyment in the relationship than when they dated someone their own age.
Researchers surveyed 207 women who were in relationships with younger men. They found that these women were more available and did not feel the need to compete with their partners because they were in different stages of life.
About eight in ten participants with an age gap of more than ten years in their relationships reported that they could more easily express their needs and desires, trust their partner’s intentions, and be themselves.
“He doesn’t feel threatened by any aspects of my life because we’re automatically in different places/stages due to the age difference,” one woman explained to Study finds.
Another woman said, “Women my age seem to be excited about the freshness and lack of bitterness that comes with dating someone younger. Younger men seem more open and less burdened with insecurities.”
Older women have started dating younger men because they find them to be more fun and enjoyable partners. Pictured: Priyanka Chopra (42) and Nick Jonas (31) have a 10-year age difference (left) and Heidi Klum (51) and Tom Kaulitz (34) have a 16-year age difference (right)
Celebrities have long advocated for younger partners. Some even go so far, such as Madonna (65) and Josh Popper (30), who have a 36-year age gap, and Cher (78) and her 40-year-younger boyfriend, Alexander “AE” Edwards (38).
Cher acknowledged their age difference in a after on X in 2022, writing: ‘On paper this looks strange (even to ME). AE says [love] ‘Can’t do math.’
In a separate tweet to a fan, Cher described Edwards as “nice,” “smart” and “hilarious.” She also said they kiss “like teenagers.”
Other celebrities like Priyanka Chopra (42) and Nick Jonas (31) have a 10-year age difference and Heidi Klum (51) and Tom Kaulitz (34) have a 16-year age difference, proving that age is just a number.
Kris Jenner (68) and her partner Corey Gamble (43) have an age difference of 25 years
Still, the question remained: what do men gain from dating an older woman, also known as a cougar?
StudyFinds found that of the 201 men surveyed, many said they were attracted to the emotional maturity that comes with dating an older woman. One person said he appreciated having an older partner around because she was more mature than others his own age.
But more importantly, younger men find that dating an older woman helps them mature emotionally and socially faster.
“I often find that women are much more evolved when it comes to relationships, emotional depth and actually expressing feelings,” said one Gen Z male.
‘The age difference also makes me take a relationship more seriously and grow. [more].
The moral of the study: Gen Z men see dating Millennial women as an opportunity to “step up.”