Old People Aren’t Stupid or Old

I guess it has been said that wisdom comes with age. Unfortunately, that wisdom doesn’t translate to the BDAs of today. Over my Holiday weekend, I had the opportunity to just sit back, relax, and of course, watch TV. Without my DVR, this meant watching the traditional TV spots. Good for me to take a step back and have no control over my next moment’s destiny. I had to watch.

And damn, the ones that stood out are so insulting to the AARP group (which my mother is in). I mean, come on. Just because you are over 60 doesn’t mean you are stupid and will buy…well anything. I watched so many ads targeted at this age group that just don’t speak to this demographic.

You actually don’t get dumber with age (OK, technically, some of you do. Hopefully not the ones reading this - if so, click away now!). You actually have more life experience with age, right?

You probably understand what the ad is saying, even though you might not be able to work the remote with lightning-fast finger agility. You might not understand how your old dial up phone turned into a cable connection that lets you talk to, and find old friends. You don’t get that. But you aren’t stupid.

This age group doesn’t have to understand the technology. Take a look at history.  Do you think when Tesla lit up Chicago in 1893 people understood alternating current? Well, no, they didn’t. It hadn’t even been an idea. Revolutionized everything, but we take all that for granted when we flip the switch. But the crowd didn’t question it. It worked. Didn’t matter if you were 3 year’s old or 80 year’s old - when those lights lit up in Chicago, that must have been magical. Wish I could have been there.

That magic never dies. Don’t underestimate the power of a shift in technology and the understanding of how it may change your life, forever. This is the Internet. It is simply a technologically advanced medium. It’s only the start of something bigger, better.

But please remember, don’t insult the older people who may know so much more about what you are trying to sell and tell them. Focus more on the fact that they might just be a little bit ahead of what you are thinking.