[Senior Trend] Becoming an Active Senior Requires Changing Perceptions and Effort

June 15th was the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. It is a legally designated day established under the Elderly Welfare Act to protect the human rights of the elderly and prevent abuse. As the aging index rises, the types of abuse and related incidents are increasing. Beyond physical abuse such as violence and starvation, there are also verbal and non-verbal acts that cause pain, such as collectively blaming or insulting the elderly. For example, treating seniors as slow and less capable by default, or advertisements and content featuring the elderly that only portray negative aspects. This also affects public perception. Fortunately, I was able to participate in a seminar on ‘Ageism’ through the Dong-A Elderly Welfare Research Institute, and there was a debate in the Evergreen Senior Community about critical views on ‘50s who live alone without marriage’ and counterarguments like ‘everyone is lonely after their 80s,’ so I would like to discuss the ‘Narrative of aging’ and the new wave surrounding it.

An example of ageism is focusing on the idea that all intelligence declines and learning becomes difficult as one ages, or that the elderly become physically weak, thereby denying them all opportunities. The elderly are classified and perceived as a population group with uniformly negative homogeneous traits such as being pitiable, incompetent at work, and physically ill. In other words, aging is seen as a total problem.

The ‘Narrative of aging’ refers to the overall perception and expression of growing old. Globally, there is a similar perception of life after 65. In reality, seniors tend to show a decline in overall physical ability, vulnerability to diseases, and reduced economic power. They are also slower to adapt to digital trends. Nevertheless, there is a growing voice of self-reflection that this is largely due to learned helplessness and a lack of effort in self-development. Seniors themselves have accepted ageism as a given. Nowadays, even among those aged 50 or 60, you can easily see seniors whose mindset, health status, activity range, and vitality vary greatly.

The senior generation is becoming the mainstream of society not only due to the global ‘elderly human rights’ movement but also because of their explosive population numbers. Active seniors are encountering various cases related to ‘aging’ and driving change. This is a movement showing that they are not a burden or incompetent beings that society must bear, but are still vibrant and capable of contributing to society. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) continues practical and media-friendly activities such as ‘Midlife Perception Improvement Videos.’ In Korea, organizations like the 50 Plus Foundation and the Jeonseonggi Foundation provide training for ‘senior bloggers’ and ‘senior YouTubers,’ enabling seniors to share their opinions and experiences online.

‘Going Grey’ is an example. Gray hair was a symbol of aging. Especially for women, it was seriously regarded as part of aging, making gray hair dyeing essential. In response, women worldwide are calling through SNS hashtags to accept gray hair as part of themselves. The book titled ‘The Choice of Gray Hair グレイヘアという選?’ introduced the reasons, journeys, and hair styling methods of 32 Japanese women who chose gray hair, gaining great popularity in Japan. The translated version titled ‘Going Grey - I Decided Not to Dye My Gray Hair’ has also landed in Korea. The book review is interesting: “A morning like any other. While washing and combing your hair, you find a single gray hair?how would you feel? Everyone gets gray hair; only the starting point differs. In the era of 100-year lifespans, the average age when gray hair begins is 39! Even if you stop dyeing after 70, the 30 years in between are your choice. Have you ever thought about what style of gray hair you want? ... If you are too tired of hiding your gray hair... I hope you read this book.”

Additionally, sportswear brand Reebok gained great response by featuring a robust senior with white hair in its ‘Be More Human’ campaign, emphasizing that ‘aging means becoming more human.’ Warren Buffett, who turned 92 this year, is a long-term investment genius and remains actively working. On social media, memes about the joy of longevity circulate with captions like ‘If he had died in his 60s, there would be no such amazing investment returns today,’ highlighting the pleasures of aging. Also, Chinese photographer Qin Xiao has created a ‘Senior Fashion Club’ account on Twitter, Weibo, and Instagram since 2017, posting the leisure and diverse beauty of seniors. It is praised as ‘full of unique and cute elderly people.’

Recently, the emergence of a ‘No Senior Zone’ caf? banning entry to those over 60 sparked heated debate. Most reactions were sadness and anger, but there was also self-reflection among seniors that to improve this, they must become ‘adults who are not old-fashioned.’ Scientific research shows that crystallized intelligence increases with age, making people wiser and socially more capable. However, these traits are acquired through lifelong education, learning, and training, so not all seniors possess them automatically. Therefore, individual effort and responsibility are necessary. Ensuring that all people, regardless of age, are guaranteed basic human rights and dignity is not someone else’s task. We all become seniors.

Lee Boram, CEO of Third Age

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.