College-aged students have all the perks: we are beautiful, young and at the peak of our lives. We are budding with excitement about our future careers. College is a fun and rewarding time in our life, but it’s also a time that we can be completely broke, or close to it.

We find ourselves with each hour of class cutting into our potential time to work and make money. We are often financially overwhelmed with tuition, student fees, high-priced books and the desire for extra money for extracurricular activities.

[quote]With that being said, there is a new trend on the rise that many girls are now intrigued by. The temptation of a sugar daddy is giving college-aged girls everywhere a sweet tooth. [/quote]

A sugar daddy, usually a wealthy older man, is on a quest for a young, attractive sugar baby he can spoil. Websites such as seekingarrangement.com and seekingmillionaire.com act as matchmakers for babies to meet their potential daddies.

Americans have known about this type of relationship for decades, but lately the new type of sugar daddy-baby relationship is unique from its predecessors.

Now, there is an option for incentives without putting out or fully committing yourself to a relationship, as in there could be absolutely no sex involved. These websites’ tag lines, such as “mutually beneficial relationships,” offer an ease of understanding to both parties.

Many sugar daddies (now called “modern gentlemen”) want the option to be in the presence of a beautiful woman by taking her out to dinner or being able to spoil his baby on a shopping spree. Another type of agreement between the baby and daddy is a mentorship. Sugar babies are receiving help from their daddies by having their tuition paid for and getting network connections with successful people.

An anonymous communications junior sugar baby at San Diego State weighed in on her lifestyle choice.

[quote]“I embrace it. If a man is willing to give to a struggling college student, I am willing to take. However, he needs to know his role,” she said.[/quote]

When asked what exactly his role is, exactly she responded, “He is simply a provider–not a boyfriend.”

Another female Aztec economics senior, who is now active on whatsyourprice.com, explained why she decided to try it out.

[quote]“What intrigued me most to being a sugar baby is the easy supplemental income I could obtain in little time,” she said.[/quote]

On whatsyourprice.com, men bid for a date with a woman. She gives her price for how much she wants the date to be worth and she receives bids from suitable men.

A flaw of these relationships is the women are clearly objectified because they are receiving money solely because of their looks.

But now, men can join the game too. There are options for male sugar babies to benefit from an older, wealthy woman.

Although the Aztec sugar baby likes her experiences, she feels there are some downfalls to the arrangements.

“I think there are issues for women’s rights involved,” she said. “These women ‘sugar babies’ are basic trophies for their sugar daddies. Most men I have been involved with care only for the physical company of a good-looking woman. I feel expected to be a pretty little figure that obeys my sugar daddy.”

Although women can end up feeling like a physical prize, they must know those are the consequences that can occur when they agree and sign up for these sites.

[quote]Is being a sugar baby truly any different than joining Plenty of Fish or OK Cupid?[/quote]  Many women go on these dating sites hoping to get a man to take them out and pay for the first date. These sugar daddy websites happen to be a mutually-beneficial relationship where the rules are more upfront than playing the dating game.

It’s interesting how women are obstructed for bidding dates on whatsyourprice.com, yet there are many fundraisers that have philanthropists bid to go on dates with pretty heiresses for charities. Is there a difference between a sugar baby receiving network connections through her daddy and being rewarded with a paid tuition versus a professor who likes our work ethic and gives us a network connection while also rewarding us with an good grade ?

[quote]In different ways, the student/sugar baby worked for it.[/quote]

At the end of the day, we all have one goal: to be successful.

At the end of interview with the junior sugar baby, she explained she had no qualms about the option of a financial supporter, but emotionally, she has to cut herself off.

“As long as the sugar daddy does not become a crutch, it works,” she said.

Usually, these relationships have a mutual understanding and communication that even some normal relationships can’t achieve. If women want to take the route of mentorship through a sugar daddy and accept the circumstances, that is their prerogative.

Photo is screenshot of whatsyourprice.com