“Kids Of Today Will Never Understand”: 50 Relatable Posts By People Who Just Realized That They’re Old Now (New Pics)

Realizing that you're not the cool kid anymore stings. But when is exactly the time when we're not young anymore? What even is "young?" Is it an age, a feeling, or just a way to identify yourself? If there is a certain age when a person is officially considered old, what is the cut-off?

German researchers recently asked middle-aged people what they consider to be old age. They discovered that people consider old age to start later than they used to. Previous generations, like folks born in 1911, would say that they consider a person to be old when they're 71. Those born in 1956, on the other hand, said that old age starts at 74.

It also depends on how old you are yourself. Perhaps it's not surprising; you may remember how you, when you were a kid, thought you'd have it all figured out by 21 and how someone who was 45 seemed positively ancient. The older people are, the more likely they are to think that old age starts later.

What the German researchers found was that someone who's 64 years old, for example, would think that 74 is considered old. A 74-year-old, in turn, would say that old age starts at only 76. On average, women tend to say that old age starts two years later compared to what men believed. Perhaps age, just like beauty, can be in the eye of the beholder?

What makes someone old? According to one study, conducted with Italians aged 65-74, it differs for men and women. Women tend to say they start feeling old when they lose physical independence, experience a loss of a parent, or become widows. For men, in turn, it was about their careers: once they retired, many considered themselves officially old.

Old age is somewhat a construct; it changes depending on cultural context. A 2024 study from the University of Michigan explored perceptions toward age in 13 different countries. For example, in China, being 58 years old is considered old. In Belgium, people say someone is old only when they reach the age of 70. Americans say that old age begins between 62 and 63 years old. Interestingly, in South Korea, people's perceptions of old age remained the same no matter what their current age was.

Apparently, stressing too much about getting old can make us age faster. Co-author of the University of Michigan study, an associate professor in its Department of Psychology, William Chopik, says that people should reflect on how they perceive aging. "People who view aging more positively have a host of better outcomes when they get older — they live longer, have reduced likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease and are happier."

If we were to ask kids when a person becomes old, they would have a more definitive answer. According to one poll of children aged seven to 16, a person becomes old once they hit 49. And there are certain activities that they identify with being old.

The most common answers were "talking about 'the good old days,'" gardening, and drinking tea. Listening to the radio and watching daytime TV also signaled that someone is old. What's more, moaning about aches and pains was seen by kids as old people behavior, as well as complaining about the weather.