Aging, ageism

Water aerobics – an exercise beloved by older women.  There may be some men that enjoy it too, though classes in a nearby gym I see largely attended by older women.  Many (most?) of whom are likely Silver Sneakers members with free gym membership – with the gym reimbursed by Medicare Advantage programs.  Looking around a large class, most women appear to be older than 65, some arriving with a walker, some getting into the pool with some difficulty.  But once they are in the water, they are all smiles.  The water and the atmosphere are both perfect temperatures – welcoming to all. And the bonus?

Flipping the script on aging – an interesting concept.  No surprise that Dolly Parton and Cher, both now age 80, exemplify the script flip. That flip includes the substantial cosmetic work that each has had to produce a new (and then newer) face.  Both are still performing – as are numerous other 80+ rock stars like Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney.  Good for them. I guess.  Is this an aspiration to be shared by the millions of baby boomers headed toward or arrived at 80?  Is playing pickleball the standard by which 80-year-olds want to be measured?  How about drug-facilitated weight loss?

Even Bing and ChatGPT have lousy answers. In fact, as lives lengthen, data about aging individuals dwindles inversely. Don’t believe it? Start searching for recently surveyed data about individuals aged 75+. Use the usual searches for income, marital status, housing status, tech ownership.  Go ahead – give Bing and ChatGPT a try too – for example, smartphone ownership in the US among those aged 75+.  Data returned was from 2017, with an apology that nothing more recent was available. You would think this was an easy question -- Bing knew it  and was sorry about the lack of current info, which none of the other usual sources have either.

Picking on Apple because they are there, but of course they are not unique. What’s new with iOS 16 on the iPad? Tap this on an iPad and you will see a screen that demonstrates ‘Collections’. And behold there’s the SNOOPY Show. Below that, advice on how to share what you’re watching on Apple TV (pictured are several smiling youths).  So easy, on your Siri Remote, press and hold a button to open the control center, select the SharePlay button then choose what to watch together.  Oops, not supported by all apps.  Watch and listen together? More young folk. Add widgets to your home screen, ditto on the images.  See ‘Reduce background noise.’ That’s fun: Open Control Center, tap Mic Mode, then tap Voice Isolation to make sure your voice comes through loud and clear.  And so on. Go through the “Essentials’ and it’s more of the same – pictures are very cool, the people shown are very young.  Welcome to iPad! The instructions are required because the UI behavior varies across different apps and screens.