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OPs

are OLD PEOPLE

HEY!   WAIT A MINUTE!! 

You don't have to be any particular age to appreciate and live Life as an Art Form. But not all of us understand that. In fact, if you are post-50 most advertisers see you as "Over the NEXT Hill" or "old".

Hey! Wait a minute, we continue the process of learning. And isn't 50 the new  middle age? This page is devoted to educating people about the fiction and facts of aging.  At the creative edge of time, where there are no age limits, you can explore a new vision of aging. Energized by the Cultural Creatives, perceptions of the Second Third, Fourth Acts of Life are changing. 

How likely do YOU think it is  that  the Post-50 People
and the "boomer" generation can  influence culture  and inspire a positive change in the overall aging experience?

C  L  O  U  T

MARKETING TO POST -50 PEOPLE: Ad agencies  consider you  one of the Older People  if you are five decades old and counting. Media hype says YOU are on that fringe. YOU may be somewhere between offended and surprised.  But, look at it this way--  we do occupy a larger and larger place in the world of consumer marketing- from whence  the  designation seems to originate.

In terms of  Market Influence,  Post-50 People exert more and more clout. More and more "boomers" have a good deal of disposable income. We have the accompanying buying power and INFLUENCE. This makes the "youth market" less and less interesting as a target for marketing - and "boomers" an increasingly interesting group for advertisers.

ASK  THE  EXPERTS IN THE FIELD OF MARKETING RESEARCH

 Misconceptions, Age-Grading,

and the REAL Story

Who wants to be portrayed as a nebbish?  Who likes the idea of fetishsizing another person?   And there are any number of misconceptions meandering around out there about certain Post-50 People, let's  set the record straight about at least five (5) of them.  Check you own knowledge when you answer TRUE or FALSE below.

1.  Older People in the USA have little if any discretionary income. T ___ F __
REAL STORY: The 50-Plus cohort controls eighty (80) percent of money.

2. Workers over 50 are slower and way  less productive. T ___ F ___
REAL STORY: Research shows that these people  perform on a par with  or better, than the younger variety.

3.  Let's face it, all they like to do is just  shop and eat.   T ___ F ___
REAL STORY:  The majority of “mature adults” seek participation and involvement, are looking to change outmoded aging stereotypes and are not leisure addicts.

4. People who are over 50  are slow-pokes when it comes to making buying decisions because they (we)  simply are stuck in their (our) ways and therefore are not open to change or new ideas. T ___ F ___
REAL STORY: We tend to make speedy decisions and are inventive and creative.

5. Post50, you  will generally suffer from a  loss of mental edge. T ___ F ___
REAL STORY:  Only seven (7) percent of Older People suffer from any form of mental loss.

THE POST-50 IMAGE- WE ARE NOT "CUTE"

At our time in life  WE ARE NOT "CUTE"

but some of us may opt for
an image reboot

PERSONAL T.L.C. MATTERS

OPs

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AGING QUIZ

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test your knowledge

25 True or False Questions and Answers

Linda Woolf, PhD

Below are 25 statements; some are true, some are partly true, and some are false. Most are common beliefs held by most individuals in the United States.With each statement answer True or False.Then go to the link provided below to check yourself to see how well you are able to separate fact from fiction.

1.  The majority (more than 50%) of those over 60 will become senile (defective memory, disoriented, demented) during old age.

2. Most  have no desire or capacity for sexual relations and are typically asexual. 

3. Chronological age is the most important determinant of someone's age. 

4. Most folks over a certain age have difficulty adapting to change. In other words, they tend to be set in their ways. 

5. Physical handicaps are the primary factors limiting their activities.

6. Declines in all the senses normally occur as we turn 50-or-so. 

7. Most are incapable of learning new information. In other words, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" . 

8. Physical strength tends to decline.

9. Intelligence tends to decline.

10. The majority say that they are HAPPY most of the time.  

11. The vast majority will at some point end up in a nursing home. 

12. About 80% say they are healthy enough to carry out their normal daily activities independently.  

13. Most are rejected by their children.  

14. In general, most  tend to be pretty much alike .  

15. The majority say that they are lonely.  

16. Old age can be often characterized as a second childhood.  

17. Over 12% of the population of the United States is over  65.  

18. Most tend to be preoccupied with death.  

19. Most  have incomes below the poverty level .  

20. Older people tend to become more religious as they age. This is often a result of facing their own mortality. 

21. Retirement is detrimental to an individual's health. "Six months ago he retired and now he's dead, retirement killed him" .  

22. Pain is a natural part of the waning years.

23. The majority of older adults say that they feel irritated or angry much of the time.  

24. Rarely does someone over the age of 65 produce a great work of art, science, or scholarship.  

25. With age comes wisdom.  

 Adapted from:Palmore, E. (1977). Facts on aging: A short quiz. The Gerontologist, 17, 315-320.  and  Miller, R. B. & Dodder, R. A. (1980). A revision of Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz. The Gerontologist, 20, 673-679

GET THE CORRECT ANSWERS
AND IN-DEPTH EXPLANATIONS
 click  HERE

USE YOUR INFLUENCE

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS AD?  Obviously there are some flagrant  misconceptions meandering around in the world of advertising. And Post50 People are getting turned  off.

USE YOUR INFLUENCE TO PROTEST ADS THAT ARE  AGEIST !

How likely do YOU think it is  that  the Post-50 People
and the "boomer" generation can  influence culture  and inspire a positive change in the overall aging experience?

POLL RESULTS

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