What should it be?

[gedjarvis]

I'm going to sound like an old boring record, but what should the age of consent be where you live? Here in the UK it's 16, but I think it should be 11

[RoosterDance]

The Age of Consent itself is a deeply flawed concept. Readiness for intimacy cannot be determined by age alone. It is far too inaccurate. There are many other factors at play. Furthermore, we don't need the government to decide this for the people. A need for intervention should be handled on a case by case basis and be determined by the people actually involved, not anyone else.

[Bookshelf]

My opinion is that there shouldn't be one. I think the ability to consent should be on a case by case basis. Even then, for sex, the idea of 'informed consent' is too arbitrary; undefined, purposely so. Ask someone what they think informed consent entails, show them a minor that meets their requirements, and watch them change their definition.

[Not Forever]

I'm of the opinion that consent is simply something that is either shown or not, and there shouldn't be such a thing as "the age of consent". In fact, I believe even the term itself is incorrect; what we actually have is "the age of ignored consent", where it doesn't matter what you express—it holds no value. I find this to be quite a violent attitude, as if minors are treated worse than dogs, akin to animated objects.

I find it offensive towards the minor themselves, as if they were incapable of understanding or making decisions. At this point, I’m surprised that the minor themselves isn’t punished for expressing their consent, like a slave doing something without their master’s knowledge. But of course, this happens for paternalistic reasons and, if you will, like an object, the blame falls on the minor's master instead.

Where I’m from, the age of consent is at the end of early adolescence, so it’s enough to make jokes about Americans who think that someone interested in 14-year-olds is a pedophile. But even in my country, we're becoming somewhat influenced; we are full of rhetoric about power dynamics spread by feminist circles, and the right-wing is looking for foolish solutions to non-existent problems. A powder keg that only needs a spark to raise the age of consent, even though I don't think the general population would agree with it. However, it doesn't seem like the population has much say in the matter, and pressing the right buttons is enough to provoke their outrage.

I'm going a bit off-topic here, but personally, I'm interested in IT and the controversies surrounding it. I couldn't stop laughing when I read a tweet from someone at Firefox claiming they had enabled by default an option related to data collection for advertising, using the excuse that, according to them, users didn't have the tools to express their consent.

Same thing.
A paternalistic attitude, just an excuse to impose their own "default choice" on other people, considering their users (or their children) too stupid to decide for themselves. But choice is important, choice is a right, even when we don't have the tools to choose, the choice should still be ours. If this is considered a "problem," then the tools should be made available, the opacity removed entirely, and the process of making an informed choice should be made easier—rather than imposing one's own choice on others.

[Creature Bipedal]

AOC should not be lowered, children are persecuted for sex with virtually peers.

[Rakuraku]

I think I would generally agree with PIE's proposals but I think they ought to be packaged with expanded family codes similar to Cuba along with greater rights for children as a whole. The right to sexual autonomy is not going to be granted to children before the right to not be beaten or starved as "punishment".

[David24828]

well, I personally think that any individual should have the ability to consent no matter the age, the only important thing is this, no coercion, no pressure, pleasurable and consentual to both sides and atleast some knowledge about sexual or romantic activity and its consequences, so in my opinion I guess 10 to 12 years old would work for most of us

[luvslilgirlbumsntums]

Well i think as it is now it should be removed everywhere and a better system is needed. But if there had to be something then i think it makes sense for it to actually be lower for lil girls than boys. Girls tend to reach puberty and grow up much quicker so this should be factored in..also this brings me to a personal opinion that the age of consent should be different again for lil girls who have premature puberty. i am friends with a girl who had her puberty start at 6 yrs old. She will be 10 in a few weeks and she may as well be 13 or 14!! from how she looks dresses and acts plus her intelligence and maturity due to it! it is totally stupid that she is still treated the same when i know she is far from innocent about the world! she is not a naive lil girl which anyone who knew her would see so yeah strict age of consent rules are stupid