Older Women Are in Demand by Younger Men

New York Times
Apr-16-2026

Younger men are increasingly seeking out older women — and it’s not just a dating trend. It’s a shift in power, desire and modern masculinity.

In this episode of “The Opinions,” the Opinion culture editor Nadja Spiegelman talks with the writer and psychoanalyst Jamieson Webster and Emily Leibert, a staff writer at The Cut, about why age-gap relationships are so popular and whether they signal liberation, backlash or something more complicated.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/16/opinion/younger-men-dating-older-women.html

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Persephonee · 26-30, F

why age-gap relationships are so popular

What on earth does this mean? You don't choose who you fall in love with (or even who you hook up with). "Popularity" has nothing to do with it.

Relationships aren't fashion. 🤦‍♀

Northwest · M

@Persephonee

What on earth does this mean? You don't choose who you fall in love with (or even who you hook up with)

You don’t wed to be in love to have a relationship, and you do choose the person you hook up with. But you should listen to the podcast.

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Northwest · M

@zonavar68

to women they are a 'fashion statement'. Sorry to point out this inconvenient fact.

Women think a man they are in a relationship with is just another 'accessory' and this is shown in full effect through weddings.

This is your opinion, not a fact.

zonavar68 · 56-60, M

@Northwest Indeed, based on experiences, so I can't speak to anyone else's experiences. But weddings are totally 100 percent only about the woman - that doesn't need experiences to validate.

Northwest · M

@zonavar68

But weddings are totally 100 percent only about the woman - that doesn't need experiences to validate.

Once more, an opinion.

zonavar68 · 56-60, M

@Northwest Only because you disagree. Facts don't care if you don't like them. I'm not saying my opinion is fact, but there's more than enough anecdotal evidence to lend weight to it being more likely true than not based on the balance of probabilities.

Northwest · M

@zonavar68

I'm not saying my opinion is fact, but there's more than enough anecdotal evidence

I'll wait until you come up wth some.