And although I now realise that was not what you were driving at (with the present clear stipulation you were talking about resembling actual kids first and foremost), when it comes to people who can physically pass as teenagers, I still disagree with the affect argument. It is definitely true in a lot of cases, but just looking at my own past interactions with people I can also see it is anything but a firm rule.
As often comes up in the “Age Gap” discussions, it’s the 14-19 range that’s most problematic in terms of both appearance and individual maturity—some people within that range can look or act younger or older, and some people on either side of it can look or act like they’re within it. (Obviously, “puberty” is the key term here, which hits individuals at different ages and to significantly different degrees.)
But I have never known a person 20+ who could be plausibly mistaken for a prepubescent person, unless they were literally acting on stage or infantilizing themselves for some reason.
Yeah I've been mistaken for a high schooler before, but never a middle schooler haha, fresh out of uni I got hit with "what high school do you go to", in a conversation lol
last edited at Nov 4, 2021 11:43PM