Bekah & Arie Are Clearly Into Each Other So 'Bachelor' Fans Should Chill Out About Her Age

Age differences in relationships are definitely a factor to consider, but it's not always a dealbreaker. Case in point: Bekah M. and Arie. The Bachelor duo is obviously clicking, illustrated Monday night when Bekah received the first rose of the episode. Though her age has been shrouded in mystery and likely will be a point of contention later in the season, she and Arie are obviously into each other, so people should calm down. They both want to be there, and age doesn't matter in the long run.

Every time Arie and Bekah have managed to steal away from the rest of the Bachelor crowd and spend some one-on-one time together, they've instantly clicked. Bekah seems like one of the most genuine and carefree contestants currently on the show, even though her age still hasn't been revealed on air. Bekah's age — 22 — was clearly stated in the screener of the premiere given to members of the press, but apparently edited out of the final version that aired on ABC. This makes her a whopping 14 years younger than 36-year-old Arie, which, granted, is a significant gap. But, honestly, who cares?

Arie has been into Bekah since she stepped out of that cherry red convertible the first moment she appeared on the show, and it hasn't been in a weird "older guy likes younger girl" kind of way. They seem to genuinely get along and enjoy each other's company, and really, that's all that matters. Bekah has been vocal about the idea that she's along for the ride and is excited for whatever this experience might bring her, and viewers should support that no matter what her age. Even if she doesn't end up with Arie in the end, she's a young woman who is having fun during a once in a lifetime experience.

Some fans, though, are getting a little judgmental about Bekah and her age on social media.

It's pretty low-hanging fruit, and not all that original, but I guess it's to be expected. The greatest part of the whole thing though, is that Bekah totally knows that people are taking the age gap between her and Arie and running with it. She is decidedly not here for it, though when she addressed it, she did it with her signature good nature and humor with a tweet and a Kanye GIF.

There are, also, plenty of fans who are cheering on Bekah and her relationship with Arie. As one Twitter user pointed out, other contestants are extremely close in age to Bekah, and none of them are being made fun of for being "too young" for Arie.

Maquel and Olivia this season on The Bachelor (producers: Fallon Jethroe, Nikki Lazaran) are both 23 years old — just one single year older than Bekah — yet somehow have managed to avoid the scrutiny that Bekah has endured. Honestly, how much would these literal months between the contestants' ages have matured the two others? It seems like a pretty arbitrary line some fans have decided to draw as far as what is appropriate and what is not, and it just shouldn't matter in the long run. If two people are both adults who enjoy each other's company, who are on the same page with what they want out of the relationship, and who are having a good time, there's absolutely nothing bad about that. Haters are going to hate, to use a tired and true saying. Luckily, Bekah seems to be the kind of person who will let it roll off her shoulders, and live her life according to nobody's terms other than her own.