Is there a general consensus on whether pedophilia only includes adults with underaged people/children, or does it also include two adults with a large age gap? As someone in their early twenties whose never dated or been in a relationship I wonder if there is something wrong with me finding men from their late twenties to their mid forties attractive.

Pedophilia as a disorder refers to primary or exclusive sexual attraction in adults and teenagers who are at least 16 years old to prepubescent children, so by those criteria it does not include attraction between adults. People might try to fulfill pedophilic fantasies with adults, of course, for instance by seeking out partners who are as young as possible or very young-looking.

In any case the reverse, finding older partners attractive, doesn’t seem to have anything to do with pedophilia. Large age gaps can be troubling for other reasons, though, most notably power imbalance resulting from different levels of experience. There’s a lot of abusive stuff happening outside of the diagnostic bounds of pedophilia, and a lot of ways a relationship can go wrong.

I don’t think your attraction is wrong, still less a disorder. I’m just saying be careful if you decide to act on your attraction. The Scarleteen article Why I Deeply Dislike Your Older Boyfriend, though aimed mostly at cis female adolescents in relationships with older cis men and cis male adolescents, is a good description of some of the pitfalls that may apply to new adults and relationships with other genders as well (cissexism at link).

missfieryheart:

Question about SW and age difference

Why is it okay for anti Reylo’ that Finn and Poe could be in a relationship or with Leia and Han actually being together but not Rey and Kylo?

The age difference is roughly the same.

Sure Rey is young but just like Leia she had to grow up too fast as well… although it was survival contra being tossed into politics.

Is it just another excuse to throw at Reylo or is it just general ignorance for the original couple and Poe’s higher age?

It’s not meant as an insult to anyone. It is literally something I’ve been wondering for a long time.

Of all my objections to canon Reylo the age difference is probably the least of them. Han x Leia had a consensual relationship for all their initial snippiness, while the supposed romantic chemistry of Reylo is based on assault and torture. The age gap does make it extra creepy, but Kylo Ren’s actions are creepy at any age.