I'm interested in knowing what people think, as a general rule, is an appropriate age for people to start formally dating.

My parents had a rule that I could not actually date until I was sixteen years old. I really hated it when I was younger, and didn't think it fair, but as I got older I realized that there was sound reasoning behind it. I was much more mature at sixteen than I was at say, fourteen, when it came to relationships. I was able to make better decisions.

So what does everyone else think?