And what age is appropriate? The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that on average, girls begin dating as early as 12 and a half years old, and boys a year older.

What is an acceptable age gap to date?

According to the rule, you divide your age by two and then add seven to calculate the socially acceptable minimum age for a partner. For example, if youre 32, you can date someone as young as 23 while remaining in the realm of socially acceptable, according to the calculation.