How young people perceive the old
What age do millennials consider old? 40s? 50s, at a pinch? (What? Whattt??? But it was ever thus.)
AARP knows that one video is worth 1,000 words. In this ageism-buster, see their stereotypes blown away.
A millennial is matched with an “old” person. Each one teaches their partner something they are good at. The younger people add 40 or 50 years to their intuitive concept of old age.
Enjoy! I did.
Great fun! But I must admit I recognised myself when the youngsters demonstrated how oldies do push-ups.
Right let us practise. Writers need strong arms.
Well, I’ll be more punctilious about gym attendance. May I also confess to recognising myself when it comes to texting? But that’s payback. I’m old enough to remember the dance known as The Twist. And giving my mother a demo of what we used to call, “Mums and Dads twisting.” To which she replied, “You nasty little things.”
Ouch!
Where do these younger ones get their ideas? ‘Old’ is a perception – often a wrong one as the video demonstrates.
Robyn, were we not the same at their age?
Of course! Others certainly were. But not me. I was born with current perspective 🤗.
Actually that was a serious question. Are we guilty ourselves of how we are being perceived? Is it the inflated view of the media? Politicians? Uninformed economists? Or perhaps those who are concerned about the ‘burden’ factor the aging population are supposed to represent?
True, you asked a serious question, Robyn! I feel tolerant about this. I think young people’s perception of old age arises directly from their personal experience of age and time passing. If you have lived only 30 years, 50 does seem old. (30/50 = 6/10.) Media and advertisers feed the illusion that older-than-me = helpless, pitiful, ludicrous and redundant. But a perception of age is built in, and is not illogical. It’s all relative: only now can I see that 95 years are relatively close to 76. (76/96 = nearly 8/10.)This would make an interesting infograph — or cartoon — anyone?
This was great. Thanks for sharing it.
There is no ‘young’ or ‘old’. Age is a contrivance. We are all connected to the endless chain of life beyond the portals of physical existence.
What a great post. I think we all modify our perception of “old” as we grow. Age is just a number!
I agree: young people’s warped perceptions of age a natural feature of their age, not a moral failing. All the more reason to challenge them.