Patronising terms to describe over-60s need to stop

I read a book recently called The 100-Year Life, which forecast what life would be like in the not too distant future when it becomes common for people to live until they are 100. Obviously our ideas about working from our 20s to our 60s will have to change.

We’ll have to work longer if we’re going to live longer. Even today, people in their 60s and early 70s are no longer regarded as ‘old’. According to a recent United Kingdom newspaper article, the World Health Organisation has recently published new criteria indicating the new age groupings covered by broad titles like ‘young’, ‘middle aged’ and ‘old’. I was delighted to learn that people between the ages of 66 and 79 are now being defined by the WHO as ‘middle aged’.

In spite of all these major demographic changes, terms such as ‘seniors’, ‘oldies’, ‘grey nomads’ and other rather patronising descriptions are still being used, and were created in the last century to describe people in their 50s, 60s and 70s. It’s bizarre.

A far more appropriate term in my opinion is ‘super adults’. It acknowledges that we are mature adults who have stood the test of time. In order to reach our 50s, 60s and 70s, we have experienced the highs and lows of life. We have survived successes and failures and we have gained a lot of experience and hopefully, a little wisdom along the way. It’s a privilege to have lived to this age as there are a great many people who haven’t made it this far.

The baby boomers who changed the world in the 1960s and 70s should be able to change these negative perceptions that are being applied to them in their 60s and 70s.

For all of these reasons we need a term that respects our age, experience and accomplishments. Super adults does this far better than the dismissive descriptions in common use. Obviously it takes time to change peoples’ attitudes and descriptions that have been around since the middle of the last century. Super adults might take a bit of getting used to, but wouldn’t you rather be thought of as a mature, experienced ‘super adult’ than all the rather negative terms currently used.

You can find out more about being a super adult on Facebook.

Do you like the term ‘super adult’ to describe those over 60? What term would you use if you had to define your generation?

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