There are currently around 70 million baby boomers. Some are hyper-focused on maintaining youthfulness. Or at the least, delaying what they consider to be old. There are countless self-help books and articles based off this topic. However, what is “old” anyway? Defining “old” is vastly different to almost every person you ask. Factors such as health, cognitive function, and disability will play a role. But in reality, the definition of old is constantly changing. So the question remains: when does old age begin?
Life expectancy has certainly increased in the last few decades. A person in their 60’s is now considered middle aged. This was not the case 30 years ago. In this New York Times article, Dr. Sherbov explains that old should not be a fixed age, but should depend on personal characteristics of individuals.
And just like with beauty, the definition of old largely depends on who you ask. If you ask a millennial in their 20’s, they may say 50 is old. But if you ask someone in their 50’s, they will likely think differently. A survey found a huge variety of opinions. One person believed when someone calls you ma’am instead of miss, you are old. Someone else said they will be old when they stop playing tennis. Further still, some pointed out physical limitations, like the onset of memory or mobility issues.
All in all, the term “old” is a moving target. It is extremely subjective and depends on many factors. John Beard of the World Health Organization states it’s time to stop defining people by their age. This kind of social norm is changeable, and it will likely continue to change as time goes on. A good way of defining “old” is to not worry so much about the number of years you have lived. Focus on what you can still do, and adapt to what you can’t.