These stats didn’t age well.
A recent survey by Edubirdie — which polled 2,000 Gen Z and young Millennials, defined as those born in the late ’90s and early 2000s — dared to ask the younger generations the question, “When does old age really start?”
22% of Gen Zers think that by the time you’ve reached 35, you’re toast.
An additional 26% believe that 40 is the true marker of elderliness.
Thus, almost half of Gen Z thinks that anything over the age of 40 is old. Meanwhile, only a quarter of people tend to go gray under 40.
Admittedly, a sizeable 31% portion of Gen Z respondents reportedly believe that oldness sets in at 60, making for a more conventional vision of senility.
This disproportionately large percentage of Zoomers who believe old age begins at 35 is likely due to a generational fixation on youth, fast-paced trends and appearance, some say.
“I feel like Gen Zers tie a lot of their identity to their youth and look at millennials as the elder wise men, and wise women. And, while I do appreciate that, I’m also just, like, we’re only, like, five years from where you are,” Mike Mancusi, a 34-year-old comedian who created a recent viral TikTok on the Gen Z and Millennial divide, recently told Newsweek.
“I’m sure every single generation feels this way about the younger generation. I seriously doubt this is a unique generational relationship,” he said.
In a Reddit thread on the subject, the generations battled it out to decide whether or not the 22% percent of Gen Zers are simply living life day-by-day, with no consideration for their own — apparently impending aging — or if there’s a point to the polled pandemonium.
“Hey Gen Z. Millennial here with a friendly reminder that you’ll be old before you even know it,” warned a decidedly bitter commenter. “They say this now until it’s time for them to be in their 30s, and the next generation calls them old at that age,” agreed another.
While some Zoomer Redditors didn’t mince their words, others offered respectful words to the wise about their elders.
“30 is old. 30 is basically half your life,” reasoned one reply — although, logically speaking, that seems like it would make 30 middle-aged.
While a significant portion of surveyed Gen Zers thought that people in their 30s were old, others curiously called out 27 as an ‘old’ age marker.
“I had a Zoomer intern last summer call a 27-year-old ‘old’… Perspective is weird,” reflected an older Millennial. “I’m 22, and I see anyone older than like 27 as old,” another commenter wrote.
“I think it’s hard to argue that 35 is ‘old’ but by that age, you’re certainly not young,” one thorough thinker explained. “It’s definitely a little stifling to be in a place with a younger crowd and see 35+ adults trying to party with all the people in their early 20s. Like I expect to be married with children by the time I’m 35, and even if I’m not, I understand that it’s time for me to move on from the activities I did in my 20s.”
As more and more Gen Zers enter the workforce and ‘adult life,’ some expect that they’ll change their minds about the mid-30s cutoff for youth.
After all, the infamously sober generation is consuming more alcohol than ever before, leaving behind their ‘grandma core’ ways, so perhaps anything could happen — there may be hope yet for all of the graying Millennials out there.
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