When it comes to relationships, I usually refrain from passing judgment of any kind. My mindset is: Why judge someone if they are genuinely happy? It’s not up to me to decide if a relationship is right or wrong with regard to age, race or gender. I figure, if two people are happy, let them be happy. But my usually solid stance quivered when a relationship between two celebrities was confirmed last week.
If you are a part of the Kardashian fandom, you may have heard the news that one of the sisters, Kylie Jenner, is openly dating rapper Tyga. Dating rumors have been circulating social media about the couple for months, and both parties have denied them for some time.
But on Friday, Tyga confirmed via Instagram his relationship with Kylie. Depending on how you feel about the relationship, his post could be considered a sweet gesture. He posted a picture of Kylie and wrote in the caption that the youngest Kardashian sister has now stolen his heart.
I know — who cares, right? This is just more gossip to add to the Kardashian reign. But the relationship between the two has caused a storm in the media because of the vast age difference between them.
Kylie Jenner is 17 years old, Tyga is 25. That little detail is sort of a big deal, due to the fact that Kylie is still, you know, a child. I would usually apply my favorite quote, “to each his own,” in a similar situation and abide by my personal no-judgment rule, but this case is different.
This relationship is borderline illegal, and I am positive that if two “non-famous” people would confess to such a relationship, the outcome would be drastically different. Someone would most likely be going to jail or be facing concerned and angry parents.
Of course, that is not the case for Kylie and Tyga because they’re famous — too famous to get into any real trouble, I might add. And Kylie’s mother, Kris Jenner, is probably not going to interfere because she pushes her kids to be in the spotlight as much as possible.
It’s not OK for two people to get away with potentially breaking the law and not abiding by rules because of their positions in society.
Besides that, it’s just plain wrong. Kylie is not even of age yet, and Tyga is 25 with a child of his own. That piece of information makes some people subconsciously consider Kylie Jenner as a mother figure for his son.
That’s just scary. When I first heard the Kylie-and-Tyga dating rumors, I did not care as much. But then I gave more thought on Kylie’s fame and the influence she has on young girls today.
The younger generation is already so ahead of its time in this day in age. A 14-year-old girl today is not what a 14-year-old girl used to be back when I was that age, only six years ago. Kylie represents that generation moving too fast. Girls may constantly want to look older and do things that make them feel older, but now it’s on a new level. More girls are dressing provocatively, getting into trouble on social media and trying to grow up too fast.
Kylie’s relationship with Tyga could influence young girls to disobey laws and question right and wrong values. The excuse would be, “Well Kylie Jenner does it, so it’s OK.” Kylie and Tyga needed to factor in her fan base and how this relationship would affect her personal image.
Kylie is already encouraging the younger female generation to grow up too quickly based on her appearance, and her illicit relationship with Tyga adds pressure for younger girls to obtain a similar lifestyle.
Hopefully younger girls who idolize the reality star have a more sensible influence in their lives than Kylie Jenner, because at this rate, young girls have lined up to follow her footsteps.
Grace Hudgins is a UF journalism junior. Her column appears on Wednesdays.
[A version of this story ran on page 6 on 3/18/2015 under the headline “Kylie Jenner and Tyga: bad for girls”]
