Experiences Minimum Ages (18+ roleplayers)

[myfanwy]

i don't know if anything i'm about to say has been said, but i'd like to add my two cents.

i, personally, don't want to rp with people under the age of eighteen. i will make exceptions if they are seventeen or about to turn eighteen, but if they're sixteen or younger... there's just an age gap that's awkward, ya know? it's also why i don't want to role play with someone over the age of twenty six, it's just... odd. that is also due to the fact that i like ooc chat and if we have nothing in common, then it's stale and bland conversation.

it's not a maturity thing because i know that there are some mature fifteen year olds and immature thirty year olds. for me, it's mostly just the age gap that you can feel and different points of life you're in.

i can't really relate to high school woes anymore and a majority of younger teenagers can't relate to work struggles.

anywho... i've said my views and i'm sorry if they've already been said ^^

 

[K Elizabeth]

i don't know if anything i'm about to say has been said, but i'd like to add my two cents.

i, personally, don't want to rp with people under the age of eighteen. i will make exceptions if they are seventeen or about to turn eighteen, but if they're sixteen or younger... there's just an age gap that's awkward, ya know? it's also why i don't want to role play with someone over the age of twenty six, it's just... odd. that is also due to the fact that i like ooc chat and if we have nothing in common, then it's stale and bland conversation.

it's not a maturity thing because i know that there are some mature fifteen year olds and immature thirty year olds. for me, it's mostly just the age gap that you can feel and different points of life you're in.

i can't really relate to high school woes anymore and a majority of younger teenagers can't relate to work struggles.

anywho... i've said my views and i'm sorry if they've already been said ^^

Nah even if it's been said it's always nice to get your own opinions out there
And I've rlly enjoyed reading everyone's comments on this post so really you're good man~

I get what you're saying though....that's where I am just...differently. I'm 17, and won't really talk to anyone under the age of 16 or over the age of like 24/25? There's been a very small amount of exceptions.

And you're right. Most teenagers, including myself, don't get the issues that come along with actual work. I have the unique problem of not getting what people talk about with high school issues tho, homeschooling making it more of a "ew I hate schoolwork" and less of a "high school is a prison" thing for me, but even still.

 

[beehsknees]

Although I've never specified that you must be a certain age to RP with me, comparing my RP as a kid to mine now (as an 18/19 yr old), I appreciate the older people who didn't RP with me. As a 13 year old I was easily molded by what older people did and said and it affected me a lot. I don't now want to RP with someone younger than me and say something that may impact them in a negative way. I think also, being the 'adult' in that situation can be stressful. I know that people younger than me are probably super mature and can handle any 'dark' themes I throw at them, but I still feel that it's my responsibility to make sure they're not ingesting anything bad. Sorry ,this doesn't make a lot of sense haha.
As someone mentioned before, I like to be friendly with people! And sometimes that can be a bit weird if I'm chatting to someone the same age as my brother.

 

[Vudukudu]

As a person who has been under 18 and also over 18, and has been in this business for a significant amount of time, I’m totally on board for the age limit.

1: Doesn’t come up in my cases because I explicitly do not do romantic roleplays, but that would be weird as far as a minor and an 18+ goes.

2: There’s a very legitimate argument for maturity level. Yes, there are mature 17 year olds. There are not many of them. This is not to be taken as a meaningful critique of anyone’s character as a person - its just a fairly simple observation that there are differences in the way a high school senior, a college junior, or a grown-ass adult behave, socialize, and interact with the world. That typically comes out in writing, and worldly experience can often help add depth to settings that aren’t even realistic/modern.

3: Writing experience. If you’re looking for a detailed/lit quality roleplay, its hard to get that out of a 15 year old. Not many people are great or even good writers at that age. That said, I’m iffy on using age as a quality measure because there’s no real substantive difference between 18 years and 17 years with 10 months. Its better to tackle the writing quality issue by another method.

 

[R.Storytale]

Quite the interesting topic!

As for me (turning 25 this June), personally I don't care so much about age but its all about how my partner acts and presents themselves. Heck, I'm 24 and I can be rather 'immature' at times but other times, I can be the old woman who nags too much.

However! For anyone that is younger than myself and RPs with me, I would not appreciate being lied to! I usually don't ask for your specific age (I find it awkward to do so...) but as one who enjoys OOC chatter, I'll be most likely asking you bits and pieces about your life and going from the bits of information, I can just guess you're still in high school or an adult.

I've been lied to by minors twice. The first one actually had the nerve to laugh at my naivety (they had simply 'upped' their age on their profile) and well, needless to say we don't RP anymore. Its one thing to lie but to also laugh at me when I had some level of what I thought was mutual trust, which was so damn dead wrong in my book. As for the other, they actually apologized for lying and was more straight up with me after that. Funnily enough, both of these two were the SAME age as each other. I won't reveal their ages but they were below the age of 18.

So in my opinion, it can go either way! I understand age restrictions and I also understand while people are deterred by them.

Dang, I had more to add to this...gotta love writer's block eh?

 

[unais]

Ehhhh. It's setting boundaries, whether arbitrary or not. They're free to do that. Everyone is. You're free to be upset about it.

I will always do it, primarily, for a baseline legality thing. In the most exacerbated situation possible--knowingly or even unknowingly talking to a minor about sexual and mature themes even if they are not in reference to the two of you personally can put you at risk for being accused of grooming a minor for sexual or illegal drugs or anything else. So, take the unpleasant parent situation and magnify it by 3000x with police, more parents, and more people involved. It's possible that there's a lot of steps to get to that point, but it's basically a risk that's there.

And honestly, I'm not really willing to walk on eggshells for a minor that I don't know in MOST circumstances. It asks a greater amount of effort on my part to have to be careful and unable to talk about mature themes when building RP, story, and character, when I would much rather speak freely and be relaxed in a hobby environment. Even though sex and extreme violence aren't going to appear in the RP, the discussion of mature themes is pretty central to developing a whole picture of characters for me.

Whether the age of consent is lower in some other states is irrelevant because then you open yourself up to the above problem by not placing the boundary at the maximum age of consent.

Does it mean anything to turn from seventeen to eighteen? Maturitywise, no, these numbers are all meaningless. Is there a big difference to life experience and what a seventeen year old and a twenty-two year old can bring to the table? Sometimes. Again, it's almost meaningless in my experience. I've met even more 22-year-olds who couldn't write worth a damn to determine writing by anything other than what I see with my own eyes.

You know what else is an arbitrary boundary people are free to do? "Only do M//", "Only do F//", "Only Playing Female Characters", "Male Characters Only, please", "Canon Characters Only Please". I know the primary problem with this comparison is that age is something you cannot control, but they still have the freedom to set their own parameters of a partner. It's not like they haven't thought about why they set it.

Which brings us to "just asking" instead.

If you really want an RP and see the 18+ boundary, just ask.

"Hey, I'm 17, but I'm really interested in this RP. Would you be willing to RP this topic with me in any capacity anyhow? Here are some of my writing samples." And if it's a no, you learn to get rejected and you also develop the skills of trying when you think you don't have a chance. You're going to need this for a job. You gain the opportunity to get the RP you're agonizing about, and lose nothing but the time it takes to ask. If someone hates you for just asking, then they're not the kind of person who you wanted to RP with personality wise.

 

[Status: Undead]

I try to steer clear away from 18+ RPs. It’s arbitrarily chosen to assume what’s a mature age, but there are definitely people under 18 who are able to handle mature subjects and those over that age who can’t. Putting 18+ makes it seems like that the RP is only interested in sex, which I don’t care much for.

I like this thinking. Although everyone should just think about frogs all the time, so everyone can RP together!

On a more serious note, it's like the legal drinking age. What is it? Hmm, that depends on where you live. 21 in the USA, but the world has a mean age of around 16.

Like the number for the drinking age, it seems arbitrary, but it does still serve a purpose, a dumb one, but a purpose nonetheless.

Some people, preferably some smart people, get together and look at someone's brain and says "This is the legal drinking age, the smoking age, the age of consent, the age that you can drive." basically people decide how old other people need to be to do things.

While it's true there are younger people out there more mature than older people, I'm sure there are many teens out there more mature than me, but, it's still a good guideline for when the brain develops, even if it a blanket statement, you can't expect someone, or even a group of people, to test every individual and see if their brain and way of thinking is "mature". Oh, then you need another person to develop a maturity scale/chart.

18+ seems a bit silly though. It does suggest sexual, raunchy themes. Like seeing a NSFW tag, you just expect nudity, you didn't expect the banned Pokémon episode that gave many children seizures, cuz that's not safe for work either. Unless you're an editor for Pokémon. Either way, it's decent enough, as long as people follow it, for weeding out the majority of less mature people, since younger people are generally less mature than older people, though not always, rather than testing every individual's maturity yourself, or worse, trusting other people. ??

18+ labeling is a pretty bad way of doing it, not that I can think of anything better. Maybe label it mature? Adult? No Children? Lol those are all bad.

Just RP frogs and you're good! ??

 

[rae2nerdy]

I like this thinking. Although everyone should just think about frogs all the time, so everyone can RP together!

On a more serious note, it's like the legal drinking age. What is it? Hmm, that depends on where you live. 21 in the USA, but the world has a mean age of around 16.

Like the number for the drinking age, it seems arbitrary, but it does still serve a purpose, a dumb one, but a purpose nonetheless.

Some people, preferably some smart people, get together and look at someone's brain and says "This is the legal drinking age, the smoking age, the age of consent, the age that you can drive." basically people decide how old other people need to be to do things.

While it's true there are younger people out there more mature than older people, I'm sure there are many teens out there more mature than me, but, it's still a good guideline for when the brain develops, even if it a blanket statement, you can't expect someone, or even a group of people, to test every individual and see if their brain and way of thinking is "mature". Oh, then you need another person to develop a maturity scale/chart.

18+ seems a bit silly though. It does suggest sexual, raunchy themes. Like seeing a NSFW tag, you just expect nudity, you didn't expect the banned Pokémon episode that gave many children seizures, cuz that's not safe for work either. Unless you're an editor for Pokémon. Either way, it's decent enough, as long as people follow it, for weeding out the majority of less mature people, since younger people are generally less mature than older people, though not always, rather than testing every individual's maturity yourself, or worse, trusting other people. ??

18+ labeling is a pretty bad way of doing it, not that I can think of anything better. Maybe label it mature? Adult? No Children? Lol those are all bad.

Just RP frogs and you're good! ??

Well to be clear 18+ just means you are looking for partners that are 18 or older. It has nothing to do with content.

In fact for a vast majority of people it’s more about roleplaying with people near their own age. I mean many of them will include their own age and something to the effect of :

Hi I’m 22 and would like to roleplay with people who are bearish my own age so 18+.

It’s 9/10 nothing to do with the person applying for the RP or anything to do with content. At least at the search level ( as in what people put in their actual searches ).now the reasoning behind it varies.


Think of it like requesting your partner be a specific IRL gender.

Some people do this because they have been harassed online by members of The opposite gender, some because their IRL partners or religions leanings make it more comfortable for them to interact with those that are their own gender. I had one such partner tell me they just felt they could share more in common with their own gender.

These are all different but valid reasons for wanting a partner of the same IRL gender as you. Not a one of them have anything to do with the content of the roleplay. Further the person might not put the above reasoning in their thread. But that doesn’t mean the reasoning isn’t there.

It’s the same with age. It all boils down to setting boundaries and expecting them to be respected as unais said. I mean the best thing to do if you really want to roleplay with someone who has boundaries you don’t fit into is to just ask.

Some might be willing to adjust their stance and others will not. But it’s always best to start a dialogue with someone over their preferences than assume you know why they have them. (using the general you there).

I mean it’s also fine to think their preference is dumb or creepy as long as your respectful about it and don’t try to change their preference directly. Totally cool to vent about it. Not cool to tell them to change it because it offends you. ( again using the general you, not saying you specifically are doing this )

 

[Ripley]

Seeing as many of the responses to this thread come from 18+ users, I'll pitch in a comment from my side of the fence and say that I completely agree with 18+ age limits. Holy hell do I agree with them. Especially on 1x1 roleplays - that '18+ only' line is good caution tape. Maybe it's because I've had bad experiences with age differences, maybe not, but either way I'm grateful for when people add their age limits.

To be completely honest, for me, it's always terribly uncomfortable when the partner I've been posting back and forth with suddenly begins an OOC chat about work and taxes and the like - and there's always this awkward moment on my end where suddenly I'm stuck between lying or being truthful that, no, I can't relate. It feels awful, because I always feel like I've somehow fooled this person into thinking I'm an adult as well (when, in truth, simply neither of us have confessed any personal information - rightfully, of course). All because I acted mature and wrote decent. So, yes, I completely understand the absolute horror of realizing that there's a ten year age difference between you and the guy you were just about to write romantic scenarios with (cue mutual discomfort).

That's why I really appreciate when people take initiative and elaborate on their requirements. Age, gender, post length - everything that makes them comfortable with knowing about their partner. Sure, I may not like it. Might have just read through a lot of really interesting plotlines before figuring out I'm actually three years younger than their age requirement. But it's their preferences, not mine, and I'm not going to lie or cheat my way into writing with them.*

*I'm just gonna sit here and simmer for a couple years.

- On a side note, yeah, that '18+ content / 18+ age requirement' mix-up can be really confusing. I'd rather people simply put 'mature themes', that way if they don't have an actual age requirement younger people won't get dismissed. And if you do want an 18+ partner just put down 'mature themes' and '18+'.

 

[Natural Flavour]

I'm a minor, so I stay away from 18+ RPs, but honestly, it can be annoying. I ONLY play RPs with mature or dark themes in them, so if you're saying 18+ for that, then that's really irritating.

But I absolutely will not play sexual RPs, so it is helpful when someone puts 18+ so I can just stay away XD

 

[Fable]

I'm a minor, so I stay away from 18+ RPs, but honestly, it can be annoying. I ONLY play RPs with mature or dark themes in them, so if you're saying 18+ for that, then that's really irritating.

But I absolutely will not play sexual RPs, so it is helpful when someone puts 18+ so I can just stay away XD

Well, no one should be using asking you for sexual RPs anywhere, it's against the Community Guidelines. 18+ could just mean mature themes such as drugs, gore, torture or pretty much themes that aren't really normal in media for younger audiences. Mature Themes =/= Adult Themes.

 

[Nostalchiq]

I agree with most of the reasons already explained. From my own experience, I can say that it's important to me that my writing partner and myself be at least relatively similar in age, and much like IRL relationships, the older you are the less the age gap matters. For example, for a person in their teens, someone in their mid-twenties would be much too old for them the majority of the time. However, that mid-twenties writer might be perfectly comfortable writing with someone in their thirties or even older. There are always exceptions, of course.

 

[kevintheradioguy]

Well, let's see. I'm a 35 year old male. While I generally care not for the age of anyone, what would a mother of 13 year old girl think, if she reads how her daughter writes her character and my character making out?

In modern day and age, making me sit down for a few years in prison calling that a harassment is just a click of a finger.

 

[Elephantom]

Age, I believe, should scarcely determine your maturity or any other factor of maturity, discounting the ability to *relate* (pardon me, I myself can scarcely relate with that statement); unless, of course, the topic at hand involves matters that are sexual or perhaps far too extreme for fragile minds. Even then, that is assuming the audience or *partner* is of appropriately fragile bearings, which, in this modern age, is becoming rarer— paper-pushers of the political-correctness sentiment might argue otherwise, but there's certainly an increase in exposure to violence or sex as compared to earlier decades.

I will provide an example: I was carousing around the house of a cousin the other day, who lives near me, and after we finished drinking and making merry, he got off to attend to businesses. I cleaned the table for him, and lounged about the house I bit, pausing at the sight of my nephew, my cousin's son, playing videogames. Having played videogames before, I was faintly intrigued— as I had nothing better to do, I decided to observe without making my presence known. It was then that I saw the graphic nature of what he was playing, featuring action, gore, and other cookie-cutter edginess that modern videogames tend to employ. When I questioned my cousin on that matter, though more with curiosity rather than concerned gravity, he answered me with a curt, “Oh, whatever, kids these days! Don't mind them, you.”

Now, this is something I've seen in a lot of households. Violent, sometimes even sexual, videogames, played by minors, revered by them— never have I seen one adversely affected. Though I confess I've seen my share of delinquents, deviants, and other sorts of chavvy characters, I blame their ignorance rather than any potential external influence.

Certainly, I don't advocate harassment of minors or such. What I mean is, if the minor at hand is comfortable and completely agreeable with the content matter, why persecute him on such charges? Would it not be a more definite breach of privacy if you attempt to correct a person on the terms of your own conduct or the conduct of greater machinations (if we're to see this from an individual viewpoint)? Greater machinations that mean the government, and governments which do vary from country to country.

Allow me to conclude: take maturity rather than age into account, and display it thusly. If the potential partner feels offended by the boundaries offered, he shall refuse so and so to participate, and will not participate on that ground. In the end, the first person, rather than the second person or the third person, benefits greatly, because he has both abided by conduct and reason without addressing either of them, and is not to blame.