The other day, in a coffee shop, the girl at the table next to me took a selfie. This behavior normally doesn't get my attention but it did that day because the girl wasn't 15 or 25 but rather 45 years old. Her selfie snap got me thinking…we are living through the youthification of our society.
Take a minute and think about your parents at the age you are today. Can you picture it?
I bet you’re thinking what most people think and that is, "My parents behaved so much older than me at this age.” I think technology and Millennials are causing this youthification of society. Let me try to unravel my thoughts.
Like no other generation before them, Millennials are actively trying to assimilate other generations into their culture. As an adult, have you texted “LOL” or “OMG” in the last week? That’s what I’m talking about. In addition, rather than being locked in a diary, the Internet allows for us to experience what’s important and top of mind for today’s youth.
3 Interesting Youthification Trends
- The average age of those who took a selfie in the last 6 months are 43.3 year old females.
- The fastest growing demographic on Instagram is 40-60 year olds.
- The highest conversion rates on Facebook is 46-63 year olds.
As we age, our behavior tends to be more youthful than in years past.
I often think as I flick through the pics of my wife Ashley and I on my phone…"would my grandparents or parents have taken as many goofy and ridiculous pics as Ashley and I have?” I think not. Because of culture shifts? Maybe. Because of technology? Maybe. Because of social factors? Maybe. Because they had no front facing camera screen to ensure the selfie was picture perfectly framed? Yes. Duh.
Finally, I think this idea of youthification can be seen through the progression of pictures we've taken of ourselves over the years. Here are a few examples...
When I force my future children to go through the family hologram photo album, they will have to swipe through thousands of photos just like the above photo. Many of which will give a more “youthful” vibe than those of the generations before. So I wonder if it will inspire them to be youthful well beyond what’s expected even today and thus accelerate youthification further.
I’m not sure what all this means or how it’s useful, but it’s an interesting trend nonetheless. What is certain is youthification will continue to shape our behavior as consumers, parents, and leaders. And it brings new meaning to…forever young.
Question: Do you buy into this idea of youthification? Why or why not?
