Fence Sitter
By A. R. Samson
Old is the new young
Perhaps because of advances in health care and nutrition, "old," or that state of feeling tired and sleepy by 9 p.m. is getting a makeover. The definition of youthful is being pushed further out the age spectrum. This social penchant considers too the longer life span of the modern individual extending to 75 years old or longer. This longer lease on life seems to have pushed back what we used to think of as "old age."
Thus, the mantras in lifestyle magazines, which seep into social discourse, declare that what used to be old then is now younger. Sixty is the new 50; 40 is the new 30. Following this mathematical progression — 10 will be the new fetus. Childhood is being squeezed out altogether.
What is this move to lower the age of everyone?
The effort to misrepresent age can only be a gimmick to broaden the target market for lifestyle products exclusively intended for the young. These include fitness equipment, tank top shirts, denims, and adventurous travel. The catchy slogans on age, which promote the fiction that one should naturally look and feel 10 years younger than his biological age, perpetuate the "green tomato" effect. This state of mind recalls a rebuke for one, acting younger than his age and dating girls 30 years his junior. Instead of inviting ridicule, the effort to look younger is now encouraged. The new math on age says that if you are 50 and trying to look 40, it’s all right, since 50 is the new 40.
This subtraction of years encourages even men to subscribe to beauty treatments and has resulted in the rising net worth of cosmetic doctors to making this medical field particularly crowded and contentious. Why look your real age (today minus the date of birth on your passport) if you can feel as young as the slogan suggests? The 10-year age discount encourages the routine acceptance of what used to be procedures limited to those in politics or the entertainment business.
All types now undergo minor surgeries to remove warts, grind the facial surface to a smooth baby-butt finish, add hair to the bald pate, and eliminate wrinkles. Absent the battle cry of old being the new young, a visit by a certified heterosexual male to the dermatologist smacks of folly indulged in previously only by aging actresses appearing as benevolent grandmothers in teleseryes.
If old has been relegated only to octogenarians, and their parents in wheelchairs, (80 is the new 70) then a bigger percentage of the population thinks of itself as still young and able to keep buying new wardrobe. Instead of thinking of new clothes as a waste of money (Where will I wear this new Hawaiian shirt?), the oldie, feeling youngish, will go ahead and have his credit card swiped. After all, 65 is the new 55.
This trend of age subtraction is becoming more reckless — 60 is the new 40. And it is making old people giddy with the illusion of immortality, a dangerous form of self-deception.
The old way of computing age which is a straightforward arithmetic operation, using the date of birth as subtrahend, provides a more realistic psychological grounding. There is no artificial age that one is supposed to relate to with the acquisition of its appropriate lifestyle (parasailing and bungee jumping). One just accepts his true age and leaves it at that.
If a senior citizen is feeling chirpy and on top of the world, then he is simply spirited for his age. He doesn’t have to delude himself that he feels 10 years younger, or that in his new lifestyle dispensation he can naturally associate with those ten years younger. After all, these younger ones too aspire to run with the decade below them. Where does this age spiral end?
Let’s call a halt to these new-old business. There is no need to be defensive about your true age. It’s just a number. And if you keep subtracting from it, you may forget how old you really are. It’s hard enough to remember where you parked, why complicate matters further by hiding your age? [rc]
© 2009 BusinessWorld Publishing Corporation
August 11, 2009
PHILIPPINES: No need to be defensive about your true age. It’s just a number.
.
MANILA, Philippines / BusinessWorld / Opinion / August 11, 2009
Fence Sitter
By A. R. Samson
Old is the new young
Perhaps because of advances in health care and nutrition, "old," or that state of feeling tired and sleepy by 9 p.m. is getting a makeover. The definition of youthful is being pushed further out the age spectrum. This social penchant considers too the longer life span of the modern individual extending to 75 years old or longer. This longer lease on life seems to have pushed back what we used to think of as "old age."
Thus, the mantras in lifestyle magazines, which seep into social discourse, declare that what used to be old then is now younger. Sixty is the new 50; 40 is the new 30. Following this mathematical progression — 10 will be the new fetus. Childhood is being squeezed out altogether.
What is this move to lower the age of everyone?
The effort to misrepresent age can only be a gimmick to broaden the target market for lifestyle products exclusively intended for the young. These include fitness equipment, tank top shirts, denims, and adventurous travel. The catchy slogans on age, which promote the fiction that one should naturally look and feel 10 years younger than his biological age, perpetuate the "green tomato" effect. This state of mind recalls a rebuke for one, acting younger than his age and dating girls 30 years his junior. Instead of inviting ridicule, the effort to look younger is now encouraged. The new math on age says that if you are 50 and trying to look 40, it’s all right, since 50 is the new 40.
This subtraction of years encourages even men to subscribe to beauty treatments and has resulted in the rising net worth of cosmetic doctors to making this medical field particularly crowded and contentious. Why look your real age (today minus the date of birth on your passport) if you can feel as young as the slogan suggests? The 10-year age discount encourages the routine acceptance of what used to be procedures limited to those in politics or the entertainment business.
All types now undergo minor surgeries to remove warts, grind the facial surface to a smooth baby-butt finish, add hair to the bald pate, and eliminate wrinkles. Absent the battle cry of old being the new young, a visit by a certified heterosexual male to the dermatologist smacks of folly indulged in previously only by aging actresses appearing as benevolent grandmothers in teleseryes.
If old has been relegated only to octogenarians, and their parents in wheelchairs, (80 is the new 70) then a bigger percentage of the population thinks of itself as still young and able to keep buying new wardrobe. Instead of thinking of new clothes as a waste of money (Where will I wear this new Hawaiian shirt?), the oldie, feeling youngish, will go ahead and have his credit card swiped. After all, 65 is the new 55.
This trend of age subtraction is becoming more reckless — 60 is the new 40. And it is making old people giddy with the illusion of immortality, a dangerous form of self-deception.
The old way of computing age which is a straightforward arithmetic operation, using the date of birth as subtrahend, provides a more realistic psychological grounding. There is no artificial age that one is supposed to relate to with the acquisition of its appropriate lifestyle (parasailing and bungee jumping). One just accepts his true age and leaves it at that.
If a senior citizen is feeling chirpy and on top of the world, then he is simply spirited for his age. He doesn’t have to delude himself that he feels 10 years younger, or that in his new lifestyle dispensation he can naturally associate with those ten years younger. After all, these younger ones too aspire to run with the decade below them. Where does this age spiral end?
Let’s call a halt to these new-old business. There is no need to be defensive about your true age. It’s just a number. And if you keep subtracting from it, you may forget how old you really are. It’s hard enough to remember where you parked, why complicate matters further by hiding your age? [rc]
© 2009 BusinessWorld Publishing Corporation
Fence Sitter
By A. R. Samson
Old is the new young
Perhaps because of advances in health care and nutrition, "old," or that state of feeling tired and sleepy by 9 p.m. is getting a makeover. The definition of youthful is being pushed further out the age spectrum. This social penchant considers too the longer life span of the modern individual extending to 75 years old or longer. This longer lease on life seems to have pushed back what we used to think of as "old age."
Thus, the mantras in lifestyle magazines, which seep into social discourse, declare that what used to be old then is now younger. Sixty is the new 50; 40 is the new 30. Following this mathematical progression — 10 will be the new fetus. Childhood is being squeezed out altogether.
What is this move to lower the age of everyone?
The effort to misrepresent age can only be a gimmick to broaden the target market for lifestyle products exclusively intended for the young. These include fitness equipment, tank top shirts, denims, and adventurous travel. The catchy slogans on age, which promote the fiction that one should naturally look and feel 10 years younger than his biological age, perpetuate the "green tomato" effect. This state of mind recalls a rebuke for one, acting younger than his age and dating girls 30 years his junior. Instead of inviting ridicule, the effort to look younger is now encouraged. The new math on age says that if you are 50 and trying to look 40, it’s all right, since 50 is the new 40.
This subtraction of years encourages even men to subscribe to beauty treatments and has resulted in the rising net worth of cosmetic doctors to making this medical field particularly crowded and contentious. Why look your real age (today minus the date of birth on your passport) if you can feel as young as the slogan suggests? The 10-year age discount encourages the routine acceptance of what used to be procedures limited to those in politics or the entertainment business.
All types now undergo minor surgeries to remove warts, grind the facial surface to a smooth baby-butt finish, add hair to the bald pate, and eliminate wrinkles. Absent the battle cry of old being the new young, a visit by a certified heterosexual male to the dermatologist smacks of folly indulged in previously only by aging actresses appearing as benevolent grandmothers in teleseryes.
If old has been relegated only to octogenarians, and their parents in wheelchairs, (80 is the new 70) then a bigger percentage of the population thinks of itself as still young and able to keep buying new wardrobe. Instead of thinking of new clothes as a waste of money (Where will I wear this new Hawaiian shirt?), the oldie, feeling youngish, will go ahead and have his credit card swiped. After all, 65 is the new 55.
This trend of age subtraction is becoming more reckless — 60 is the new 40. And it is making old people giddy with the illusion of immortality, a dangerous form of self-deception.
The old way of computing age which is a straightforward arithmetic operation, using the date of birth as subtrahend, provides a more realistic psychological grounding. There is no artificial age that one is supposed to relate to with the acquisition of its appropriate lifestyle (parasailing and bungee jumping). One just accepts his true age and leaves it at that.
If a senior citizen is feeling chirpy and on top of the world, then he is simply spirited for his age. He doesn’t have to delude himself that he feels 10 years younger, or that in his new lifestyle dispensation he can naturally associate with those ten years younger. After all, these younger ones too aspire to run with the decade below them. Where does this age spiral end?
Let’s call a halt to these new-old business. There is no need to be defensive about your true age. It’s just a number. And if you keep subtracting from it, you may forget how old you really are. It’s hard enough to remember where you parked, why complicate matters further by hiding your age? [rc]
© 2009 BusinessWorld Publishing Corporation
