*This is a collaborative post*
It's hard to imagine that one day, I'll be part of the senior generation. A generation that, for the first time in history, is going to exceed the number of youths, with those 65 and up making up 16.5% of the global population by 2050! A rise that can be attributed to the fact that people are living longer, thanks to advances in healthcare and the overall improvement in the standard of living.
Bathing Solutions have launched a new campaign, Breaking Barriers, to break social barriers, and help remove some of the stigma attached to the elderly, who are often seen as incapable or unable to learn new skills. I know this isn't true; my grandma, in her 70's, is very active on Facebook, and my grandad, in his late 70's, uses an Android tablet to do his Sudoku puzzles and crosswords!
Society seems to view the elderly as slowing down; as if, in retirement, they just want to sit in their gardens and drink tea. And maybe some do. But if I can use my grandparents as an example again, they are so active in their retirement that it puts me to shame. My grandma, more than my granddad, is always texting, messaging and liking and sharing pictures on Facebook. A few months ago, she even signed up to Instagram! My grandma, you could say, has mad social media skills for her age. And it's because of me, and my cousins. My 17 and 13 year old cousins have been sharing their social media skills with my grandma, setting up her Facebook and Instagram accounts, whilst I'm on hand at the end of the phone to explain what a GIF is and how to share a photo in a private message.
And that's why I love Bathing Solutions Breaking Barriers campaign, which is all about encouraging skill shares through videos, blogs, community courses and more. With this, older people are learning new languages, starting blogs, taking great photos and even starting Etsy stores. We can benefit so much from the older generation's years of wisdom and knowledge, but why shouldn't they benefit from us, too?
You can start helping the elderly generation now. Hell, I'm still fielding calls from my grandma about how to do XYZ on Facebook! Share your skills with them, or let them know about the various skill-share courses they can get involved in with Bathing Solutions Breaking Barriers. And remind them; you're never too old to learn something new!
What are your thoughts on this campaign?
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