i just want to chime in with an actual man's perspective

your mother, and aunties, and cousins weren't entirely wrong

there absolutely are men who objectify women, who will never commit to a relationship, and who are seeking younger more attractive partners

the take-away needs to be to identify and avoid these traps that will not result in a satisfying end. your mom was right to give you the warnings, but perhaps not well versed enough in proper conversation and education on the topic to relay the full implications and details to you

it's never too late to change your mindset, though. the you of today is only a shadow of the you tomorrow. be confident and go