Sugar Daddies and Sugar Babies: Relationships of Necessity

Sometimes also called "compensated dating" or "dating for kind", forms of Sugar Daddy Dating have been the cornerstone of many relationships over many years.

Sugar Daddy dating has traditionally been thought of as a scenario where an older, financially secure man “takes care” of the financial needs of his younger, attractive, smart woman in her early or late 20s, who is maybe just starting off her career and needs that extra financial help. In return the older man gets the young lady's companionship and (maybe or maybe not) enjoys a sexual relationship with her. In other words, the lady in question is compensated for her time and efforts, perhaps by receiving gifts, or maybe getting to enjoy travelling to luxury hotels or destinations extensively with her Sugar Daddy.

However, over the last few years there has been a shift in the attitudes and motivations of even younger ladies looking for such Sugar Daddy type relationship. More and more students (both pre- and post- University age) have found that such type of dating is a great way to help them get through the challenges of managing their education with little or no external monetary support. In reality, as the cost of tuition and rent rises, so does the apparent popularity of such Sugar Daddy sites amongst students.

If a female student can find a wealthy benefactor to help her pay tuition, accommodation and other living expenses on a regular basis in return for offering the man companionship and sexual favours, then this appears to be a win-win situation for both parties. The Sugar Daddy gets his Sugar Baby and can also contribute towards her education and future career prospects - which can be seen as a positive from his perspective!

Typically, both parties will agree to the terms of their arrangement at the outset so there are no misunderstandings or complications - yet, sometimes the Sugar Baby and/or the Sugar Daddy will develop serious feelings for each other and the relationship will evolve into a longer-term monogamous one.

Even though Sugar Daddy arrangements have existed since time immemorial, it's unclear if they are becoming more common because the phenomenon is not well studied even though, as with many other things, the internet has made such relationships far easier to organise and negotiate.

On balance, these arrangements are vaguer than prostitution as there is an expectation of material benefit, although this is not always specified - and sex is not guaranteed either.

However, the big question for many is: are such relationships really providing financial relief, or encouraging young women students to get involved in something more exploitative and potentially dangerous than having post-University debt?