The case for “old people” culture
No one gives a shit about old ladies. We remind them that they’re gonna die.
-Frieda Berlin, Orange is the New Black
As I rapidly approach 30, I can’t help but wonder to myself — am I becoming obsolete? In the grand scheme of things it’s not that old, but our culture can make it seem like that sometimes.
I’m not alone. Memes about getting old — being the oldest one in the friend group or drinking in your late twenties — are a dime a dozen, reflecting a self-deprecating and deeply anxious psyche of today’s youth. There’s a sense amongst Millennials and even Gen Zers of feeling old way before you’d actually be considered “old,” perhaps driven by the feeling of having gone through so much at such a young age — the 2008 recession, COVID-19, and school shootings just to name a few.
On top of that, we live in a youth obsessed culture. And to some degree, it makes sense. These are the people who are driving trends, setting new standards, and creating better futures for themselves. They are innovative, fresh, and aspirational. Brands that want to create and retain relevance must appeal to this younger cohort. They all ask for the same thing: How do we appeal to young adults, Gen Z, college students, 18–24 year olds…and so on. But what about the rest of us?
Feeling irrelevant is a common theme amongst the older generation being usurped by the new, hot younger one. The battle between Gen Z and Millennials has played out on TikTok over the past few years, as this “elderly” generation tries to make a space for themselves on an app where their beloved side parts and skinny jeans are now being deemed “uncool” and “cheugy”. But if 18–24 year olds are the only people we’re looking at when it comes to cultural trends, we cut out an incredibly valuable subset of society.
The irony is that our population is older than ever before. Life expectancies are extending dramatically, and with new medical advancements, the number of American men projected to live into their 90’s has doubled since 1965. By 2050, 22% of Americans will be 65 or older — up from 16.9% in 2020. What’s more, these older generations have enormous purchasing power. Baby Boomers are the wealthiest generation in the U.S — accounting for 51.2% of the country’s wealth as of 2021.
While one could argue that young people are the most active and influential when it comes to culture, older generations are not insignificant in their contributions. Even on the youth-centric platform TikTok, many “grandfluencers” have achieved stardom. The @oldgays provide valuable perspective on what being gay was like decades ago, while accounts like @grandadfrank provide endearing advice from a kind grandfatherly figure. An antidote to the infamous Gen Z Hype House is @retirementhouse, which features a lively group of eighty-somethings living and playing in a house together under the moniker “age gracefully”.
These older influencers are not met with pity or ridicule on social media — but rather lauded for their authenticity and refreshing perspectives on life. Their down-to-earth advice is incredibly valuable in our self-optimized culture, during a time where people are burnt out, exhausted, and mentally unstable. They encourage us to look at the big picture, focus on what makes you happy, and forget about all the noise. You will be ok.
Most importantly though, these older influencers are showing young people that you don’t have to be afraid of aging. There’s incredible value to be had at every stage of life — not just in your twenties like pop culture would have you believe.
At the end of the day, nobody wants to feel left behind. And with culture moving as fast as it does, it’s easy to feel out of touch and irrelevant. But there’s a responsibility for brands — and people — to facilitate better cross-generational communication. Society is making many seniors feel as though they are being left behind, which explains why many who are still quite young have such anxiety about becoming old — fighting a fear that they too one day will become obsolete. Young people still need guidance (hell — everyone needs guidance), so if companies continue to reject and collectively ignore the opinions of older people there’s a missed opportunity for shared wisdom. Despite significant progress when it comes to inclusivity in the workplace, only 8% of companies include age as part of their diversity strategy according to Harvard Business Review, which represents a major loss when it comes to valuable multigenerational knowledge sharing.
So let’s start paying attention to old people more. They have valuable insight for younger generations and society as a whole. Maybe it’ll stop us young people from feeling so ancient.
As Drake once famously said — “I’m really too young to be feeling this old.“
