What Do Men Really Want? Women Who Are This Age, Says Science

In 2014, thanks to some research done by OKCupid, we learned a very painful reality about the online dating world: Men don't want to date women over the age of 22. 

Women the world over, both those doing the online dating thing and those who are not, responded with annoyance and disappointment by the stats, yet were not at all surprised.

But now, because that study wasn't enough, we have another one to prove that men are delusional and, let's be honest, superficial and jerky, too. So, let's commence with some more upsetting news, shall we?

RELATED: Women Are Most Likely To Cheat On Their Husbands At This Age

Out of Finland come the results of a survey that found that while women are looking to be with men who are either slightly older or about the same age, men, yet again, are hoping to get with the young ones.

Of the 12,000 Finns who participated in the study, "across the spectrum," men of all ages sexually preferred women in their mid-20s. Face palm, especially for those older guys, right?

It's true that some men go for older women, but those going for "older" women are guys in their late teens and early 20s looking at women in their mid-20s.

Ugh. Why does a woman have to cash in her dating chips and hopes of love, just because she’s no longer in her 20s?

I was 25 once. It was lovely. Not only did I have the majority of my life ahead of me to mess up, fall down, and get right back up again, but I was definitely more desirable to men. I could see it then, and I can see it now when I look back.

Although I'm fortunate enough that I don't look like my ripe old age of 35, and am usually mistaken for being about 28 or 29, I still no longer look 25. I will never look 25 again. But that fact aside, at 35, I'm far more together than I was at 25. I know who I am and what I want, and I can honestly say that my 30s, so far, have been better than my 20s.

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I understand that men are visual creatures and physical traits are more important to them than women, but I would think that confidence that comes with a woman in her 30s, or even 40s, would somehow play a big part in what men consider sexy.

However, that appears to not be the case, as this study and the OKCupid study have shown.

I think this is sad for both men and women, because men are limiting themselves with their narrow scope, and women are being punished for aging.

Breaking news, you guys: we all get old, and as I said about the OKCupid results, the only way a 25-year-old is going to go to bed with a 50+ man is if he's rolling in the dough. Sorry, but it's true.

I don't fault men for where their attraction lies, but I do think they need to broaden their horizons. At 35, I'm not old, nor do I consider my friends in their early 40s to be old.

We may appear slightly older physically, but considering where our brains and hearts are at, we might have even more to offer than a woman in her 20s.

Older women still "have it," and I think that's something older men need to take into consideration. It's okay to be the foolish man who goes after the woman who's young enough to be his daughter for a fling, but when it comes to love, men should be looking at the women in their own playing field.

But as a woman in her 30s, I guess my opinion is moot.

RELATED: Why Older Men Choose Younger Women (Even When You're A Much Better Match)

Amanda Chatel is a writer who divides her time between NYC and Paris. She's a regular contributor to Bustle and Glamour, with bylines at Harper's Bazaar, The Atlantic, Forbes, Livingly, Mic, The Bolde, Huffington Post and others. 

Editor's Note: This article was originally posted on February 27, 2018 and was updated with the latest information.