Ageing is inevitable. But you can enjoy it!
ㆍActive seniors are challenging age-related stereotypes by leading engaged lifestyles which revolve around physical activities and social interactions.
ㆍIndia’s ‘Silver Talkies’ is a social platform connecting active seniors worldwide through online classes, hobby development, and chat services.
ㆍA global coalition of older people can be formed to combat ageism and make the world barrier-free.
Seniors traveling back in time
Do you ever wish you could turn back time and look like your younger self? There was an interesting experiment conducted by Harvard called ‘Turning Back the Clock,’ where people aged 75 and above were asked to pretend that they were 20 years younger. They were given a task to carry out their own household chores, such as cleaning and washing dishes, for a week. The results were quite surprising as they found that their vision, hearing, and memory had improved to the level of a 50-year-old. In effect, they became 20 years younger in just a week.
The Harvard experiment revealed that seniors require a more active lifestyle to feel alive, hence the term ‘active seniors.‘ This group comprises people in their 50s and 60s who are actively seeking out things to do in retirement. They may desire to travel the world, take on a new career, or organize social events for people from all walks of life. As seniors start to relive their youth, there is a need for a service that can make their dreams possible.
Ageing can be fun!
With Silver Talkie Club, seniors from all over the world can come together online and offline to socialize and participate in various activities. Silver Talkies is an inclusive community that welcomes anyone aged 55 and above. The platform offers a variety of online workshops, meetups, and classes for seniors to engage in activities such as arts and crafts, theater, music, dance, fitness, travel, literature, and more. In addition, the Silver Talkies app provides a chat forum for like-minded individuals to connect and read online magazines that highlight inspirational stories about positive aging.
The co-founders of Silver Talkies, Reshmi Chakraborty and Nidhi Chawla, came up with the idea when they realized that their parents were getting older and that they were becoming increasingly disconnected from the digital world. They also noticed that growing social isolation and loneliness were making it harder for people to connect. The fun and heartwarming activities at Silver Talkies aim to help people reconnect with their peers and promote healthy aging. By joining a Silver Talkies club, you can build friendships with people in multiple cities, share skills with others, and try new hobbies together. Social gatherings take place primarily via Zoom, with occasional in-person gatherings in select cities.
No Country for Old Men
Now at least. It is estimated that in some countries, up to one in three older adults experience loneliness. This feeling of isolation can be brought about by being marginalized in politics, labor, housing, media, and other areas. However, the advancement of technology has also contributed to an increase in social isolation among older adults. While we can access telemedicine via virtual reality, buy things on our smartphones, send money through apps, and vote electronically, older adults are struggling to keep up with these changes. They are increasingly disconnected in a world where we are all connected to work, friends, and everything else through the internet.
If a global, age-friendly social service like Silver Talkies were to appear, it could provide a much-needed platform for communication and engagement for marginalized elderly individuals. This could lead to the launch of a global senior initiative where seniors can have constructive discussions, take political action for barrier-free access, or even create new professions that only they can do. For instance, a startup that specializes in consulting on social infrastructure for seniors, such as ramps, theaters, stadiums, transportation, and more. We can also read columns by senior opinion leaders to stay up-to-date with current events and buy anti-aging products advertised by senior beauty influencers.
The global population is aging at a rapid pace. By 2030, more than a third of the countries in the world will have over 20% of their population aged 65 or older. However, this phenomenon presents an opportunity for active seniors. Futurist Bradley Sherman believes that the era of the ‘Super Age’ has arrived, with people aged between 50 and 74 becoming the main drivers of the global market. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) estimates that spending by people over 50 will increase from $35 trillion in 2020 to $96 trillion in 2050. (Seniors should now be called ‘GOLD’, not silver.) If this opportunity is capitalized upon, it could become a powerful trend that dominates the world. Senior social communities may act as the catalyst for this megatrend.
There is no country for the elderly, but rather they don’t need a country. Now the elderly are all over the world, and they are interconnected.
