The Anti Aging Phenomenon And Baby Boomers

As the baby boomer phenomenon moves inexorably toward enlarging the older population, anti-aging/baby-boomer-marketing-trends-25.php” target=”_blank”>commercial growth of anti aging products is beginning to capture more and more of our attention on television and other media. Looking and feeling our best as we grow older is, without a doubt, a worthy goal. But this trend merely reflects deeper concerns.

In a culture obsessed with anti aging, we ignore the fact that older people in unprecedented numbers are remaining creative, productive and vigorous. The plain truth is that seniors have the capacity to remain active and contribute to society and economic activity far beyond traditional retirement age.

It’s an unfortunate phenomenon in America especially that the concept of anti aging really means a bias against older people. In a society that seems to revere youth and vivaciousness coupled with inexperience, older people are stereotyped as growing senile and useless.

Upon “retirement”, the stereotype has older people propelled suddenly from a vital cog in a working environment to idleness, golf courses or bingo parlors. It boggles the mind to think that someone who has felt empowered, useful and vital would enthusiastically accept suddenly being branded as inadequate. Stories abound about the male retiree who dies within a few short years of “retirement”, really a victim of an anti aging bias.

Strangely, experience is often viewed as a liability when it comes to hiring. You have to pay for experience – it’s viewed as expensive. Ignored is the fact that older workers often simply want to remain useful and helpful. There is dignity in work.

Fortunately, some employers are beginning to shed their anti aging, age discrimination biases to embrace older workers as able to fill needed jobs without having to look to Asia.