Ask anyone and they will likely tell you a completely different year that they consider a person “old.”
However, researchers have recently conducted a study to find out what age old people consider old, and it may surprise you. And what’s even more interesting is why they believe this one age to be the defining number for old people.
Young People Can’t Imagine Ever Being Old
Although we all technically know that we are always and will forever be getting older until the very end, young people really struggle to imagine themselves as old people.
According to one study, Gen Zers who are currently between 12 and 27 years old and Millennials who are between 28 and 43 years old, consider someone old when they reach their late 50s.
What Is Middle Age?
However, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, anyone between the age of 45 to 60 isn’t considered old, but middle aged.
But even this definition is slightly confusing. Middle age is technically “the central period of a person’s life.” However, if the average life expectancy is 71. 33 years old, wouldn’t that mean 65 is far past the middle of one’s life?
Old People Say This Is the Age When Someone Is Old
It should come as no surprise that elderly people don’t believe that someone in their late 50s or even 60s can be considered old.
A study conducted by researchers from Germany and the United States asked 14,000 people born between 1911 and 1974, “At what age would you describe someone as old?” And their answers were quite interesting.
People in Their 60s Say You’re Not Old Until 75
The research showed that the vast majority of people in their mid-sixties believed that old age starts on your 75th birthday.
This, of course, proves the longstanding theory that the minimum age for old increases as we get older. However, researchers also now believe that all age groups have increased the age it means to be old.
Our Timelines Have Changed Drastically Over the Years
Although there is no data to turn to, it’s highly likely that if you had asked someone in their 20s only a few decades ago what age was old, they would have said early 50s, 40s, or even in some cases, 30s.
In the 1950s, the median age for marriage was 23 for males and an almost unbelievable 20 years old for women. However, in 2024, the median age for men is 30.5 and 28.6 for women. This is just one example of how drastically our timelines have changed; people have pushed back their lives by about a decade in less than a century.
50 Used to Look Much Different Than It Does Now
Whether it’s because of our new timelines, modern medicine, botox, makeup, or a wide variety of other factors, people also look and even act far younger than they used to.
One of the latest social media trends has been showing what 50-year-old actresses looked like in the 1980s and 1990s versus what they look like now, and the difference is unquestionably shocking.
People Are Simply Healthier Than They Were Before
Now, some people argue that the reason humans are changing their timelines, looking younger for longer, and are considering old age to be far later than they used to is because we are literally staying younger well into middle age.
The main reason why people look and seem younger is simply because they are healthier. Today, we know so much more than our parents or grandparents about nutrition and exercise, and medical care has increased exponentially.
People Are Living Longer Than Before
In addition to looking younger and staying healthier for longer, people are also living much longer than they used to.
As of January 2024, there were almost one million people (755,000) over the age of 100 still living, but in 1950, there were only 2,300 centenarians across the entire globe. That’s a 32,826% increase in people living to 100.
Life Expectancy Has Substantially Increased Over the Years
As well as an almost unbelievable increase in centenarians, the average life expectancy in the US and around the world has also grown substantially over the past several decades.
In 1950, the average life expectancy in the US was only 68.1, but now, in 2024, it’s already 79.24. And experts believe that it will hit 83.37 by 2050. Therefore, those who are 40 years old today could still be 20 years away from death, 25 years from now.
What Makes Someone Old?
While all of this information is exceptionally interesting, some people argue that statistics have nothing to do with what age people determine as old. Instead, they say it’s about the energy, health, and happiness of the elderly people around them.
The research also shows that a person’s opinion on old age correlates to their own personal happiness. The data noted that those experiencing chronic disease, loneliness, and negative feelings about their own mortality gave old age a lower number.
Denying Old Age Isn’t Necessarily a Good Thing
It seems likely that, as time goes on, all people regardless of their age will start pushing the age it means to be old further back. However, scientists say this isn’t necessarily a good thing.
If people assume they won’t be old until they are 75, they are less likely to attend to their growing health-related issues. It’s extremely important that people continue to check in with their doctor on a regular basis, even if the statistics seem to say they’re going to live forever.
