Is a Beatles Song Dated? Or Could It Be Us?
The Pew Research Center has asked and issued a daily number apt for our demographic:
Will You Still Need Me When I’m 64?
"When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now…" doesn't give many Americans, contrary to the popular Beatles song, the image of someone age 64. In fact, only 32% of Americans believe that turning age 65 (the actual age in the survey question) is a marker of being old. Only retiring from work, grandchildren and gray hair were given less weight as measures of old age on a list of 13 possible markers. So when is someone old? The average answer is 68, but that answer is relative to how old you are. While those under age 30 say the average person becomes old at 60, just 6% of adults 65 or older agree. Respondents older than age 30 lean more toward the age of 70 and above as when someone becomes old. Moreover, the older Americans get, the younger they feel. Americans under 30 say they feel their age, but nearly half of all respondents ages 50 and older say they feel at least 10 years younger than their chronological age. So as the first wave of baby-boomer Beatles fans actually reach 64, few are worrying: Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64?
"However, a handful of potential markers - failing health, an inability to live independently, an inability to drive, difficulty with stairs - engender agreement across all generations about the degree to which they serve as an indicator of old age."
"To be sure, there are burdens that come with old age. About one-in-four adults ages 65 and older report experiencing memory loss. About one-in-five say they have a serious illness, are not sexually active, or often feel sad or depressed. About one-in-six report they are lonely or have trouble paying bills. One-in-seven cannot drive. One-in-ten say they feel they aren't needed or are a burden to others."
"But when it comes to these and other potential problems related to old age, the share of younger and middle-aged adults who report expecting to encounter them is much higher than the share of older adults who report actually experiencing them."
"When asked about a wide range of potential benefits of old age, seven-in-ten respondents ages 65 and older say they are enjoying more time with their family. About two-thirds cite more time for hobbies, more financial security and not having to work. About six-in-ten say they get more respect and feel less stress than when they were younger. Just over half cite more time to travel and to do volunteer work."
The entire research survey can be viewed at the Pew site.
More Articles
- Veterans Health Care: Efforts to Hire Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists
- Adrienne G. Cannon Writes: Those Lonely Days
- Jill Norgren Reviews a New Inspector Gamache Mystery: All the Devils Are Here
- Rose Madeline Mula Writes: Look Who's Talking
- Celebrating 100 Years of Women Voting; Virtual Sessions: United States Capitol Historical Society
- Supreme Court Surprises The Public in LGBTQ Ruling: What is Sex Discrimination?
- Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi And Donald Trump Last Year
- Elaine Soloway's Hometown Rookie: Mirror, Mirror; Jealous; Terms of Endearment
- Margaret Cullison: Cooking with Grandchildren Including Inauguration Cookies, Orange Julius and Chocolate Birthday Cake
- Ferida Wolff's Backyard: Climbing Trees & A Guardian List of Top 10 Books About Trees