Geezers, old farts and boomers

See that headline. Don't use those words, certainly not in print. The American Society on Aging reported on an e-mail survey of 100 journalists undertaken by the Journalists Exchange on Aging, a network of 1,000 reporters who cover aging issues, to ask their opinions of the language used to describe people 65 and older, as well as people who are about 40 to 60. With the number of Americans over 65 at nearly 40 million, and set to increase to record levels as the baby boomers (whoops!) age, labeling elders (a word thought to have positive associations and not yet used so frequently as to become annoying, according to the survey) will be increasingly important.

Steer clear of "senior citizen," the respondents say. It's offensive to many sets of 65 and older ears. And as for "boomer," it's been overused. Young people hate it. The 77 million people born between roughly 1946 and 1964, to whom it refers, might be getting a little sick of it too. What exactly does it even mean, when some of them will be collecting Social Security soon while others of them might be just sending tots off to kindergarten.

People in midlife, generally thought to be about 40 to 60, probably like that term more than "middle-aged," the journalists thought.

It's probably just best to refer to a person's exact age, if it matters to the story, and leave the description out of it. The entry in our own Los Angeles Times Stylebook: "senior, senior citizen: Use these words with caution."

-- Susan Brink

Comments

[mark van patten]

Revolutionary idea: don't pigeon hole someone because of age! Tweeners, teenagers, Millennials, Xers, Boomers are all meaningless demographer terms that the MSM fell in love with.

Excellent conclusion: just use the age! And don't use it unless it is vital to the story.

[Jackie Aldridge]

I prefer boomer. Because it doesn't place me in some kind of hierarchy of age. I'm a boomer because I was born during a baby boom. Because it sounds expansive.
Senior citizen? Call me that when I'm eighty. Half of all of us will get to eighty. It's a good time to be considered a senior. Maybe by then I'll be ready for it.

[Kathy Hatfield]

My name is Kathy Hatfield and I am the primary caregiver for my 80 year old Dad who has Alzheimer's disease and lives with me in North Carolina.

I am writing a daily blog on my caregiver website that shows the lighter side of caring for someone with dementia. There is also lots of information about dementia and caregiving, as well as a LIVE CHAT every Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time for caregivers who need support, but cannot attend a “live” support group.

Please pass this link along to anyone you feel would enjoy it.

www.KnowItAlz.com

Thanks,
Kathy