Age is not just a number in most cases. Age counts the years you have existence. This itself can tell a lot about you. If you were born during the cold war, you may have gone through the Vietnam, Korean war, or been in Afghanistan. You may have been traumatized. You may have been a woman, who was repressed and was fighting for basic things such as jobs. Age not only changes the way someone views the world, but also can influence their behaviors. Age can influence day-to-day activities such as being able to breathe and can explain rigidity in habits or attitudes. Age matters when getting married. Idealistic, or extreme optimists will say you get married when it feels right. People who believe that age matters will say that eighteen is too early to get married because most people do not have enough life experience to know what they want from life. This is why most extremely early married couples do not last. This is not a necessity, but definitely a high probability. Age is a part of someone's personality. Age strongly influences not only someone's political opinions, but people's preferences in food, lifestyles, and social problems. Age influences maturity. People who go through trauma much earlier in their lives will perceive and handle it much differently than other, older ages. Age is not just a number. Age is an integral part of perception, which defines our reality.

**TL;DR: Age is more than a number as it represents our ability or inability to perform certain actions in society.** Age represents your maturity, the time you have had on this earth to learn lessons, be ready for certain things (alcohol, sex, driving) and your understanding of the implications of your actions. Age is useful beyond being a mere number as it is a reference point as to what social situations are appropriate for someone of that maturity level. For instance, in most countries, it is inappropriate for anyone under the age of 16 to drink alcohol (reaching up to 21 in the US). This is an example of age being used to determine what is and isn’t appropriate for certain members of society to be doing. If age was treated as a mere number and people were not held accountable or made responsible for things based on their age society would be in chaos. If we did not put meaning on age, would 5 year olds be driving? Would 11-year-olds be allowed to smoke? Age has to have more meaning than being just a number as it represents our maturity and capability or incapability to perform certain actions in society.

**TL;DR – We need to note that age is not just a number. It's a concept that we have assigned within a specific context to help us keep track of how old we are in relation to other people - and things. As such, there is a deeper understanding and meaning to it that goes beyond the numerical value we have assigned to it.** Age serves as an important numerical tool in determining how old one is. And, while there is varied research to validate responses to popular age-old expressions such as [*age is just a number*](https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/age-ageing-young-old-biological-chronological-dna-epigenetic-1647053-2020-02-16) and [*you’re only as old as you feel,*]( https://www.huffpost.com/entry/aging-and-chronological-age_n_4440023) we need to note that the concept of age is about more than this. In fact, [the concept of ageing is so important and popular that it has its own name known as gerontology](https://open.lib.umn.edu/socialproblems/chapter/6-1-the-concept-and-experience-of-aging/#:~:text=Age%20and%20aging%20have%20four,our%20middle%20and%20older%20years) – which studies the social aspects of ageing. What's more, it explores the concept of ageing through these four dimensions, namely: The first dimension is the one most of us think of and can relate to and is known as *chronological age,* which is defined as "the number of years since someone was born." The second dimension is known as *biological aging* and refers to the physical changes that “slow us down” as we get into our middle and older years. For example, one's arteries might clog up or one might have difficulty breathing due to problems with one's lungs. The third dimension is known as *psychological aging* and refers to the psychological changes that occur as we age (this includes mental functioning and personality). Also, gerontologists do emphasize that *chronological age is not always the same thing as biological or psychological age.* For instance, some people who are 65 can look and act much younger than some who are 50. The fourth dimension of aging is social and can be called *social ageing.* It refers to changes in a person’s roles and relationships. This includes family and friends, as well as, formal organizations such as the workplace and houses of worship. In addition to this, although social aging can differ from person to person, it is also deeply influenced by a person, as well as, society's perception of it. For example, if a society views aging positively, the social aging experienced by individuals in that society will be more positive and enjoyable than in a society that views aging negatively. So while age might be perceived as just a measuring tool that is used to determine one's physical age, for example, at what point of your life you should be, when to get married, when to have a baby, how you should behave, how much you should know, etc., it's been proven that there's more to it. Consequently, I believe that everything is connected and that we need to look beyond age as just a number in order to gain a better understanding of it. Otherwise, the concept of age and time being related to each other will never be adequately explained or understood by us – since we will always fall short by limiting ourselves this way.

Age is a number that is always extremely important given the context it is in. This phrase is used most often when talking about relationships, where someone young finds themself in a romantic relationship with someone much older. If someone is underaged and not fully mentally developed, the age of their romantic partner could be a determining factor in whether or not the relationship is safe for the child. Someone who is fully mentally developed could easily take it upon themselves to manipulate the child for their own benefit. Even in situations where the relationship in question does not deal with underaged people, such as between a 30 year old and a 50 year old, age matters nonetheless. It is precisely that age did matter in this situation, the result being that these people were at ages that allowed them to be at a similar stage of mental development making the relationship safe. Age always matters, but whether or not that is beneficial or detrimental to the people it is referring to varies.

"100% right-wingers agree" well,. guess opinion lab is just fake stats then

This is a nonce slogan lol

- No, there are clear differences in development and maturity in children and young adults. - This is a p*dophile slogan.

We talking for Trix and kids movies? Sure. We talking romantic and/or sexual relationships? HELL no.

Sure, and Jail is just a room.

Age is just a number as long as it is between consenting adults. There are of course, unique problems and issues that arise within an age gap relationship, but it is not immoral and can be done with both parties having a happy and loving relationship. Age within the adult world is an indicator of experience, yes, but different people age and have different experiences at different time of their life. Of course, the only exception is when minors are involved, then in that case age is not just a number and that is very much a criminal offense. I find it very sad that 'age is just a number' is an excuse made by pedophiles as it damages the idea of consenting adults in a relationship. Society is not kind towards consenting adults in an age gap relationship, whether it is for religion reasons or uncertainty.

TLDR - it all depends on the context. Agree if referring to adults. Disagree if referring to children. If we're referring to "age is just a number" as older, retirement aged people still capable to being fit, healthy, happy, having social lives and continuing to work if they want to, then absolutely age is just a number. If we're referring to adults (20+) having a relationship with a large age difference then yes age is just a number. Depending on life experiences, maturity can come at different rates so maybe a older person is a better match for some people and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, people are attracted to what they are attracted to, some may like older or younger for aestetic reasons and you could be leading to an unsatisfied relationship if you date someone who you don't find physically attractive. However if we're referring to adults trying to justify relationships with under 18's or even men who are considerably older justifying having relationships with 18 year old girls who are barely legal then age isn't just a number.