Who Are These People?
The daily newspaper I read has a column listing celebrity birthdays. A recent column had 28 people sharing that day. All of them were in the entertainment industry. I guess that’s typical.
As I read through it, I recognized only one person under the age of 60! Is it just me? Am I really that out of touch? I gathered the newspapers from earlier in the week to check out that column. Same result. Got me to thinking. Why? One logical answer is that my taste in entertainment hasn’t changed as I aged.
I analyzed how I keep myself entertained. When watching TV, I usually tune into the reruns of my old favorites. Exceptions would be shows I’ve been watching for years that are still on. Wheel of Fortune, for example. To me, it seems like every other current show is ‘reality’ based. Cooking, home remodeling, Real Housewives (yeah, sure), Naked and Afraid (I know the feeling, I’m afraid to look in the mirror when I step out of the shower). Looks like it’s Hallmark to the rescue again, at least if you enjoy Christmas movies eight months out of the year!
In my car, the radio is preset to the stations that play ‘golden oldies’. Sorry. rap music, acid rock, punk rock, etc., you just don’t do it for me. Even prefer older country music, though it hasn’t changed over the years. I guess I just identify more with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton.
Movies??? They used to be…well, you know, family friendly. These days movies are targeted to a whole different audience. You have choices between cartoons, blood and guts or language even Marine drill sergeants wouldn’t use. Don’t forget the movie popcorn. Pound for pound, I suspect it’s more costly than crab legs. And no matter where you sit it’s always close to someone chatting on their phone.
So, back to where I started. Is it just me?
It’s been said that your social contacts are from three main sources; family, neighbors and co-workers. I call it generational segregation. Throw in school. That’s where generational segregation begins. Remember fifth grade when no one in the sixth grade would be seen with you?
I checked with family members, both middle-aged and young adults (don’t really have any older family). They each pretty much have their own lifestyles. Social lives are spent with those who are most like themselves; age, financial position, marital situations, etc. We do get together for holidays, birthdays and anniversaries. For many families though, getting everyone together in the same place, at the same time, is like herding butterflies.
Neighborhoods are similar. Subdivisions of houses in the same price range attract those in the same income brackets who are all likely to be close in age.
Same on your job as well. The co-workers you associate with, especially after work, are also probably in your age bracket.
A looming problem is social media and it’s effect on socialization. Nothing looks sadder than seeing a couple on a date and watching them spend more time on their phones than with each other, but that’s the subject for a different article.
