America is getting older and the US is going through a big change in its population.
Many countries around the world have faced an aging population for years but the US has seemingly been unaffected until now.
According to the US Census, this shift is caused by people having fewer children and people living longer. In fact, by 2030, older Americans will make up 21% of the population.
That’s a lot!
Have you given much thought to how the perception of aging is shifting lately?
Even Hollywood is Getting Older
Think about the movie stars of the 90s – Harrison Ford, Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Denzel Washington.
All of these stars still have massive projects releasing today, and yet they’re all over the age of 58.
Take Sarah Jessica Parker’s Sex and the City revival, And Just Like That. It still covers stories of women finding love and learning how to live life while still being beautiful. All of the characters are in their 50s with older/teenage children.
Compare that to 80s classic Golden Girls and how it portrayed women of the very same age.
At 81, Harrison Ford is still making action movies. Denzel is 68 and he just released the third movie in his Equalizer series. Meg Ryan is making a comeback with a romantic comedy she wrote and directed and co-stars David Duchovny.
While all of these stars were in their peak career 30 years ago, this might have seemed impossible. And yet here we are, able to watch stories that look more like our own experiences.
An Aging Population Shifts Ageism
It’s not just fiction, either. An aging population in Southern California means that residents 65 and older are soon going to outnumber those 18 and younger.
What does that all mean for us?
It means that we’ll have to figure out how to age better because many of us will be in that same age bracket.
It also means that we have the numbers and the impact to change ageism for good and shift perspectives.
An aging population can mean we can change the way we work, improve our own self-perception, and teach better truths to the younger generation.
Start Integenerational Conversations
Perhaps the best way we can move forward as an aging population?
Start conversations with people of all ages! We need to spend time together, learn from each other, and understand each better to get rid of the incorrect perceptions we all have about aging.
I’m putting together an intergenerational dinner to do just that, but you can also look at mentoring, volunteering, and so much more.
Let’s start the conversation. Jump into our Facebook group and tell me – how will you be helping others have a positive outlook on aging?
