Outdated Mindset
Lina Ko February 26th, 2010
According to the Calgary Herald, it’s time for boomers and seniors to rethink about what the aging concept really means since different age groups in our country are poles apart in how they view old age, and almost everything associated with it.
Retailers are struggling with understanding older consumers. A woman was recently in a shop enquiring about a particular blouse to which the salesgirl replied, “I think that blouse would be better on someone much younger.” Needless to say, the shopper was furious. Boomers and seniors are upset with antiquated attitudes, patronizing labels, stereotyping terminology and insensitive services that highlight ‘growing older’.
I’ve long blogged about the mistake to treat everybody over 45 as a homogeneous group. According to the Pew Research Center, an unbiased U.S. fact-tank that provides information on issues and trends shaping the world, we don’t even agree on when old age begins!
Young people believe the average person becomes old at 60, but middle-adults put it closer to 70, and those 65+ say old-age really doesn’t begin until about 74. We also now see ourselves in terms of our ‘felt age’ versus our ‘actual age’ and the gap between them widens further the older we get.
At least 60 percent of seniors say they ‘feel’ younger than their real age. And 50+ boomers report ‘feeling’ at least 10 years younger. Moreover, the upsides of aging are being revealed. Older adults are happy – at least as happy as everyone else. The same indicators of happiness among younger adults – good health, good friends and financial security – predict happiness among older adults too. One key difference, being married is a predictor of happiness among younger adults, but not among older adults.
The growth of the older population will continue for the next 20 years. Traditional concepts about aging no longer apply. It’s time for all of us to rethink and rebrand what growing older means today in our country.
