situation comes up that warrants it I like to put these things out here
for future reference. I feel that some may take our 18+ rule as being
something alongside NSFW content or our filters but I assure you there
are many other reasons beside that. This is going to be with regards to
me being in the United States as some of these things do change from
place to place (needless to say I do think the servers are here in the
US, so things here apply).
- Generally speaking the age that is
required to post certain kinds of content varies from state to state.
This can include or not include images or video. It's generally easier
to be consistent across the board rather than trying to look at every
state and update things accordingly. 18 is generally the accepted age
for being an adult in those regards. - Many games and online
applications are rated solely on the worst content that can be posted
within acceptable rules. By default it would make this place 18+
because we allow adult content to be posted. - Emotional maturity
can't be assigned a numeric value. Some people can be young and wise
and others can be old and silly. Generally speaking it's been
consistent in my experiences that those that are 18 or older have enough
wisdom and experience to handle situations better than a teenager.
This isn't to say this is always accurate, being bronies and all, but
sometimes it is hard to try and reason things as adults when some aren't
there yet. - Some folks don't either properly label themselves or
look at how others set their profile. Back on the old PonySquare we
did have many that ignored non-RP settings and attempted to RP with
those not interested in it. It wouldn't surprise me if something
similar were to happen with dating instead of a friendship. I would
advise against introducing oneself in an inappropriate manner but from
what I know some relationships work that way. - There is a
slightly inverse relationship between the age range and the topics of
discussion. While not all topics are NSFW in nature there are many that
are best suited for an adult. - No matter how well filters can be
designed content can either be not properly flagged or something else
can happen. If adult content were to be posted unflagged I'd rather
take care of it without kids seeing it. Remember we can't be online
24/7. - Generally those under 18 are the responsibility of their
parents. While I haven't seen it an issue anywhere else this being a
dating site adds more complications given a goal is going out and
meeting people. It's similar in concept as to why many games for
younger kids don't allow email addresses or other information posted.
Once outside the site user interactions are out of our hands. - This
may be a combination of other points but to put it explicitly the goal
is to have a chill, fun place to talk and enjoy each other. Having to
add filters makes it difficult for people to relax if they are on the
lookout for those that have to avoid bothering. - This is more of a personal point but I didn't have social media nor constant internet as a kid. From how it affects some of my extended family I don't recommend social media for children nor teenagers. Results will vary, of course.
