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Key points
- Across the world, depressive symptoms and midlife crisis are at their worst at 47.2 years of age.
- Research in 132 countries demonstrates that after 47.2 years of age, people started to feel better.
- Generation Z thinks that people don't start to look old until they are in their late 50s.
Why is 47 such a depressing age?
Technically, it's 47.2 years of age, according to a massive study by researcher David G. Blanchflower. He examined data from 132 countries (95 of which were still developing countries) and examined the relationship between well-being/happiness and the age of the individual. He further controlled for education, marital status, and employment status.
Put simply, at the age of 47.2, individuals across the world are often quite unhappy. Put a different way: Perhaps the midlife crisis truly does exist.
Specifically, it's the fear of and the realities associated with growing older that seem to get most people down in the dumps.
What can you do if you are currently experiencing this Midlife Slump and you're feeling like things will never be the same?
Rest assured, it gets better. Blanchflower states that the picture will shift over time. If you find yourself feeling a bit more in the dumps at the age of 47, take active steps to better yourself. For example, make a point of eating healthy, getting enough rest at night, and going for a walk outside. This latter point exposes you to more dopamine and serotonin as a result of being in the sunshine as well as using exercise as a natural antidepressant.
And if 47.2 years of age has you feeling worse than usual, hold on to the knowledge that statistically speaking, this is the age at which you are likely to be on the lowest end of that happiness curve. A large number of people tend to report improved mood following this low point.
But, Do I Look Old?
A recent survey of over 2,000 people in the Gen Z generation (born 1997-2012) attempted to answer the age-old question whose answer most of us secretly fear: Do I look old?
According to the socially conscious, pragmatic, work-hard-play-hard 20 to 30-somethings who participated in this study, old age, or simply being considered old, sets in when people are in their late 50s.
Interestingly, when a sample of Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) was asked this same question in a 2023 McKinsey Health Institute study, two-thirds reported feeling significantly more youthful than they had assumed they would at this age.
Many participants stated that they felt as if 60 was the new 40, due to taking better care of themselves and living a more active lifestyle.
Is there any validity to the Baby Boomers' view of themselves? It really depends on where you are and who you ask.
Culture and Aging
Global research on aging generally defines age 65 and older as the point at which we reach old age. Current estimates report that by 2050, the number of people in this age range will nearly triple thanks to improvements in medicine, healthcare, and improvements in the awareness of aging adults about the importants of self-care, such as attending doctor appointments on a regular basis.
Sounds great?
In reality, the true picture of what this forecast will actually look like is largely dependent on where you live. In East Asia, 9 out of 10 Japanese people, 8 out of 10 South Koreans, and 7 out of 10 Chinese people report that aging is a major problem for their country. In these areas, survey participants heavily reported a belief that the government should bear a greater responsibility for taking care of the elderly, rather than family members having to socially and economically take on the majority of this financial burden.
It is not only East Asia that has great concern over our growing elderly population, but also certain parts of Europe.
What about the United States—how do the majority of people weigh in on this topic? Not surprisingly, in a country that has much slower expectations of the growth of the elderly population and reports significantly fewer concerns, a large number of respondents feel that the elderly themselves should—and will—be responsible for financially supporting themselves.
How does this hold up to reality? It very much depends on socioeconomic status, and since not everyone has the same finances, it is quite likely that many people will be surprised and/or disappointed by the way our care for the elderly is handled by the time 2050 comes around.
Age Is in the Eye of the Beholder
The good news is that we all view age and aging differently, and what younger generations think a 47-year-old looks like is probably a lot different than what someone who actually is 47 thinks that they look like.
It's difficult to embrace the concept of aging gracefully, since we are overwhelmed by the weapons society offers to try to fight off this aging process. However, getting older can be considered a luxury that not everyone will have, and with that perspective you might have a different view of your later years.
