Is it okay for a 50+ year old man to be chatting with a 17 year old girl on Sodahead?

If he isn't a stalker, creeper, pedo, rapist, murder then it's fine by me!

I dont consider that creepy if you also allow to your grandpa to talk her

I chat on subject but that is all. Friendship requests under 21 are rejected.

I talk to all ages here on SodaHead. I have a 14 year old daughter too.

Too young.

looks like he was comforting her but using the word babe is iffy
well i would not want some dude calling my daughter babe but i don't have kids

As long as nobody's trying to get into nobody else's pants. Or any other article of clothing. Remember people, just because there are perverts out there, doesn't mean we ALL are. I just have one bit of advice, find a good monitoring program that will save their conversations for your later perusal. That goes for her parents AND his wife... :P the conversation I read, COULD be interpreted either way, I call my Daughters babe all the time, so it could be pretty innocent and you have to admit this part

*cut and paste*

you REALLY want to get back at *guy who broke up with her*.....SURVIVE and Thrive...living Well is the Best revenge you
are slightly bent but NOT broken...so *guy who broke up with her* FAILED

*end cut and paste*

sounds like some pretty good morale support... It's her calling HIM babe that bothers me, unless he's gay or something... LOL

It depends if the old man was her grandfather or other relative.

Age is just a number..but with certain boundaries :)

it depends what it is. as long as the guy is not a creep.

who me?

When it's not in a creepy like way, Reading the first two statements I was like 'ok, no big deal"
It's when they start saying babe and stuff that it seemed a bit odd. Personally, I try to talk to people around my own age, but if someone older starts a conversation with me, out of respect I'm not going to ignore them unless they seem like they are being perverse. Most of the time it will just be a short little argument about us not agreeing on something, which is fine because we were raised in different times when certain things that are/aren't acceptable have changed. Or, they're telling me I have a good head on my shoulders....

I think there are certain names older people can use to address younger people in certain contexts which aren't weird... but babe? I'd have to ask them to call me by something else, that's just a little too far for me.

I am 50+ with a few under 20 friends. Some I did'n not know their age before friending.

I make sure they know my age and talk to them like I was talking to my grandaughter.

The conversation you object to bothers me too.

it really depends on the topic of the chat. as long as it doesn't become of a sexual nature, i see no harm in it

A 50 your old man can be the 17 year olds teacher at school--the 2 just having a conversation as humans is not a problem.
Talking(chatting) is never the problem, it's the content of that chat(talk) that can be an issue.

As long as they don't act on it and its consensual on both their parts. If he was harassing then no but otherwise? Not a prob.

noooooo!!

i see nothing wrong with two people talking...

But they're calling each other Baby or Babe, in this case. That's unsettling. I'd say it rather denotes a lack of judgment on his part which, in combination with his needy protectiveness, really creeps me out.

I am the 50+ side of this and would NEVER chat like this to anyone.

This is borderline "peculiar"
I am 65 and have exchanged postings with younger SH (well, the profile says so) members. I am careful in my choice of words and Baby is not one I use.
Besides, are SH profiles accurate?

It depends on the nature of the conversation if he's sharing his knowledge about a non sexual subject then that's fine in my opinion but young girls should also know not to get involved in sexual conversations with people on the Internet much less go and actually meet the person.

Some can dispense better advice than their own father. What they talk is consensual and not for us to poke our nose in it.

So long as there's nothing untoward, why on earth not :D?

If she is his daughter or granddaughter.;-)

I know a few of these creepy types who come across as being "protective" of the younger girls on here, and tell them they will take care of them if anyone does something to hurt them. Dude you're on a website...what is it you think you can do for some teenage girl? I think they are desperate to come across as big and manly, when in reality they are creepers who should stay away from the teens. They probably can't find a relationship with a real woman their own age.

Im 48 and have chatted with a few that are under the age of 18.I do respect how you feel about this though, i think that i would feel the same way if i had a girl that was chatting with an older man.

As long as they are just talking and the conversations are not perverse in nature, I see no problem with it. In reading this it APPEARS to me that SHE is looking for attention and HE is falling for it. Now, that said, I'm feeling really bad for reading others personal conversations and will not be doing it again. My question to the person who made this poll is,,,WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO STALK AND WATCH WHAT THESE TWO ARE SAYING? Are you related to one of them? Does it effect your life? Just asking.

Why not? What do you mean by "chatting up"? If he's trying to get in her pants I would put a stop to it, otherwise, why not?

Just that he could be baiting her.

Not with that type of conversation.

Not really. Some states say that eighteen years of age is legal. Seventeen isn't legal in some places. That's a little too far apart in age if you ask me.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Pretty sketchy.

It seems likely from at least one of your responses you weren't really asking a question as much as hoping others would reinforce what is obviously your formed and unchanging opinion. Why did you bother, then? There are some thoughtful, well-crafted answers on here, from what appears to be both adults and teens. The general consensus seems to be that since it didn't take a sexual tone [although I question the use of "baby" from both posters] and no addresses or phone numbers were exchanged [or requested!] that it was either just harmless, or an attempt to keep the younger individual from harming herself.

As a former teacher, I can tell you I had numerous conversations with "underage boys AND girls." I called them "pupils." Often, the conversation was initiated by the child, who was looking for someone to listen and provide advice or guidance...which they obviously weren't getting from home. And I did it in my 20's, 30's, 40's, and yes...50's and there was never any hint of anything untoward or unprofessional. Are you correct to be concerned for your daughter? Of course. But perhaps you are looking too hard for trouble here. And speaking of that: Florida's "Stand Your Ground" statute has come under enough fire without your waving it like a club. You might want to consider that you are now on record [and be assured that this poll is saved somewhere] as more or less looking for an opportunity to try it out. That wouldn't play well in the media or at a trial.

The "Stand your Ground" comment was a joke.

You were a teacher. A teacher is an advice giver, by definition. You're supposed to be looked up to. If you weren't then you weren't doing your job. You had every right to have conversations with children, in a classroom.

As some dude on the internet. Absolutely not!

if it was my daughter, i wouldnt have a problem with it as long as he wasnt trying to make a pass at her and they werent trying to set up some meeting

If you actually had kids, you'd see it differently.

i have 2 daughters and a little boy and one on the way. i have children.

Then you need to educate yourself. Ask their father(s). I'm sure he's (they'd) have a different opinion.