By Julie E 
Photo Credit (Pixeles)
Everyone, especially young people, has a preconception about the elderly: they cannot drive. They are lonely. They can’t go around as easily. They do not grasp computers or modern technology. They do not want to go anywhere.
Whether or not these assumptions are substantiated by evidence is another matter entirely. A Place for Mom, a senior care referral service, polled 2,000 adults aged 16 to 34 on their attitudes toward the elderly and the aging process, then compared those attitudes to studies. The survey, titled “Better with Age?” The “How Young People See Seniors and the Aging Progress” study revealed an unexpected disparity between opinion and facts.
When asked what age is ‘old’, respondents agreed it was 59; females chose 61, while males chose 56.
Here are some of the statements made to young people vs. reality:
FALSE: Older folks become an economic burden as they age. 65% of survey respondents disagreed with this statement, and they were correct: while adults over 50 make up only 35% of the US population, they account for 43% of total US GDP, or $7.4 trillion every year.
Seniors are out of touch with current technology: FALSE. Although 55% of respondents agreed with this assertion, several Pew Research Center surveys have proven that it is generally inaccurate. They may not be on Instagram, but the majority of seniors (67%) use the internet on a regular basis, with 51% having broadband at home. According to Pew Research, 37% of Americans over the age of 65 use social media excessively, while 70% use Facebook on a regular basis.
As people age, their driving skills deteriorate. MOSTLY FALSE. While 72% of young people believed this, the Federal Highway Safety Administration reports that drivers 65 and older account for 19% of crash victims; in fact, younger drivers aged 16 to 34 account for a higher percentage, 38%.
Older adults are lonely. TRUE. Young people agreed with this remark, and it is true. According to the American Time Use Survey, people spend 6 hours per day alone by the age of 60, increasing to 8 hours by age 80.
People dislike their bodies as they get older. FALSE. While young people believed this assertion to be true, a Gallup study of 85,145 Americans revealed that body acceptance peaks in our 70s and 80s.
Despite their negative connotations with aging, young individuals were pleased about a variety of elements of old life, like having more time to spend with loved ones and grandkids, traveling, pursuing a hobby, and so on. Maybe it’s better after 60.