Millions of students all across the country are becoming involved in financial arrangements and relationships with older adults. These sugar daddies/mommas are paying students large amounts of money to accompany them to dinner or other events. Students in need of money for education, living, and other basic necessities are seeking employment on these sites in order to provide for themselves and earn money. Over 2,000,000 students have accounts on a single sugar daddy/momma website, most being undergraduate students. In 2015, the University of Texas was seated as #1 for the amount of sugar babies on the website. Nursing majors are the most common on these sites, followed by business and then psychology. It is free for the sugar babies to sign up; however, sugar daddies/mommas have to pay in order to create an account. This is leading to a lot of students signing up due to a no-cost entry, followed by a lot of money earned. The sites say that members are to form relationships on their own terms, taking the blame off of the companies in times of trouble. This may seem reasonable, but is this really safe? Should students (some being as young as 18 years-old) be showing up to a stranger’s house?

This involvement says a lot about the current culture. Students are willing to take risks and spend alone time with complete strangers just to make some money. This shows that money is being viewed above all else, including personal emotions and safety. Students are willing to do anything if they are receiving a monetary reward, something extremely concerning in our society. In my opinion, the risk outweighs the reward. It is not worth it to seek relationships with complete strangers to make some extra cash. There are plenty of other opportunities to make money without risking your safety, both physically and emotionally. Students should conduct serious research and talk to family and friends before registering for one of these websites.

Written by Ciara Petronzio, Chief Legal Assistant & Director of Community Relations