We often hear that 60 is the new 50. Recently, society has started to lean towards the idea that 70 is the new 60.
A new study from Humboldt University in Berlin has revealed that our contemporaries, unlike previous generations, believe that old age now arrives later. Most older adults assert that this phase of life begins at 74 years or later. Each year, the number of people who hold this belief continues to grow. Therefore, it can be assumed that those who were once considered old in the past are no longer viewed that way by today’s society.
How the Study Was Conducted
The research team analyzed survey data from 14,056 participants in a 25-year study on aging. Initially, the study included residents of Germany aged 40 to 100, born between 1911 and 1974. Over the course of the study, additional participants joined as they reached middle and older age.
Among the many questions posed to volunteers was this one: “At what age can a person be considered old?”
Researchers found that compared to participants born earlier, those born later identified the onset of old age at an older age.
For instance, when participants born in 1911 turned 65, they considered old age to begin at 71. However, when participants born in 1956 reached 65, they stated that this period begins at 74.
“Life expectancy has increased, which may contribute to the later onset of old age. Additionally, some aspects of health have improved over time, so people of a certain age who were once considered old are not viewed that way today,” commented study author Markus Wettstein.
The researchers also discovered that perceptions of old age change as people age. The average 64-year-old participant stated that old age begins at 74.7 years. But when they turned 74, they believed that old age starts at 76.8 years.
Furthermore, the team explored how individual characteristics such as gender and health status influence perceptions of old age. They found that women tend to believe old age begins two years later than men do. Over time, the gap between men’s and women’s perceptions of old age widens, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Volunteers who felt lonelier and had poorer health reported feeling older and believed that old age began earlier, in contrast to those who were not lonely, had better health, and felt younger.
The results of the study were published in the journal Psychology and Aging.