Far from being stuck in a middle-aged rut, today’s 50-year-olds are challenging perceptions and living life to the full.
The Mirror reports that the modern 50-something has a gym membership, watches YouTube – and has sex every couple of days, it has emerged.
Researchers who carried out a detailed study also revealed that far from being stuck in a middle-aged rut, today’s 50-year-olds are challenging perceptions and living life to the full.
According to the data they can regularly be found having a pint in the local boozer, enjoy eating out once a month and enjoy gigs as much as the younger generation – and one in 10 say their sex lives are better in their sixth decade.
They are also up-to-date with the latest and best TV shows and box-sets – and would much rather watch Game of Thrones than settle down to an episode of Eastenders.
A fifth of those over 50 attend gigs every few months, while the same percentage will watch their favourite music artists at least four times a year.
However, while the over 50s are living life to the full, many feel misrepresented by brands.
Around one in four grumble at clothing brands for failing to represent their age group accurately, while a fifth believe the common depiction of middle age in advertising is totally wrong.
The beauty (14 per cent), music (16 per cent) and travel (12 per cent) industries are also among the sectors over 50s believe don’t believe represent them very well.
The study was commissioned by TUI UK as part of an on-going programme to fully understand its customer base.
A spokesman said: “We all have an idea of what we perceive over 50s do and think – and this stereotype is often informed by movies, TV and advertising.
“We know there’s a whole group of middle-agers who are energised adventurers and this latest study shows middle age is an active and social time of life.
“It’s a time where many have fewer responsibilities as children have grown up and flown the nest, as well as having more disposable income than they did when they were younger.
“The lifestyles of over 50s are reflecting this and brands need to learn more about the age group to make sure the image they show of this generation is correct.”
However, despite the research demonstrating the over 50’s are far from ‘old’, and if anything are up for a bit of action and adventure, more than 40 per cent believe those under 30 probably consider them to be ‘old’.
More than one in five think young people see them as unadventurous while 19 per cent think they are seen as ‘uninteresting’.
It also emerged one fifth of 18 to 29-year-olds believe older people ‘never’ go out to gigs, and one in 20 think people over 50 simply don’t have sex.
According to younger folk, clubbing is also off the menu for those in slightly older age brackets, although more than a fifth of 50- somethings would think nothing of partying until the early hours on a night out.
Those in this age bracket are also more likely to do tech-savvy things like watch YouTube videos on a tablet, than those below 30.
The study, carried out via OnePoll.com also found 16 per cent of 50-somethings regret not changing their career earlier in life, while one in four wish they’d worked harder at staying in shape and doing exercise in their younger years.
In light of the findings, TUI UK is looking for spontaneous middleaged adventurers for their new TUI Tours, including a couple, friends and a solo traveller to challenge perceptions of their age group in a project called ‘The Travel Diaries’, where they will test out a new, action-packed tour of South Africa, capturing their experience on film.
A spokesman said: “I guess you could say we’re looking for the next Michael Palin – an adventurous personality who is curious and comfortable on camera.
“They don’t need to be film experts, this isn’t about making a movie. “We want them to record their real, authentic experiences and ‘tell it like it is, from meeting the locals, encountering the wildlife and tasting the food.”
(Story source: The Mirror)
