Here are some recent headlines, directed at seniors, that have appeared on my internet feed, in my email, or have arrived in the form of a text message or an unsolicited voicemail:
“The Twelve Hardest Parts of Getting Older”
“Seven Surprises Seniors Didn’t See Coming in Old Age”
“How to Find Love in Your Seventies”
“How to Find Happiness if You’re an Older Introvert”
“Six Ways to Live Longer Regardless of Your Genes”
“How to Prepare for Death”
“Three Supplements for Healthy Aging”
“Ten Things People Begin to Dislike as They Get Older”
“Five Things I Wish I Knew Before Getting Old”
Have you seen these or similar headlines when you’re online? I used to immediately click on headlines like these … looking for answers. I’m always on the lookout for information that might interest readers. If not out of my own interest, I’ve felt obligated to stay on top of just about everything that may impact us senior citizens.
Not anymore.
I trained myself not to click on these articles. Why? Don’t they apply to me? Shouldn’t I consider them of interest? I used to think so.
These days, I consider them click bait because my old person algorithm is all over social media. Algorithms in social media exist to funnel certain kinds of content, including advertising, to specific audiences, encouraging people to spend more time on a particular website. Click bait, in case you don’t know, is a text or a thumbnail link that is designed to attract attention and to entice users to follow (“click”) that link and read, view, or listen to the linked piece, being typically deceptive, sensationalized, or otherwise misleading. Headings like the ones above are often teasers to get us to click though to the linked content, which is often used to sell us something.
In the beginning, these articles were interesting. And I reported here on what they said about myriad topics … topics I felt would benefit us. Now, however, these articles are the same tired slogans for what to do if you’re angry, lonely, depressed, lazy, or too excited, not forgiving enough, or clueless about how to find gratitude. Also, the medical advice is rampant! Just look in my medicine cabinet. I have enough supplements, tinctures, serums, and sprays, creams, and pills to serve one hundred people. All because I read some online info that led me to a solution (their product) to things like dry skin or low energy.
After trying them all, I’m still the same person. My health is no better, my skin is no less wrinkly, and my mood is not assuaged by anything better than what a good nap or a calmer political environment can provide.
I’m here to hopefully prevent you from going down the same rabbit hole I’ve gone down to find answers to questions a spirited coffee/tea klatch could solve.
Save your time and money.
I’m not saying researching an age-related problem on the internet isn’t beneficial. I’m saying these “issues” that pop up voluntarily (because of our web surfing habits that are tracked), are more times than not a waste of time. We’ve known the answer to many of our questions for years already.
After reading an article online from a medical website, I was thinking about the benefits of consuming black cumin seed powder. I know, right??? I was thinking it would improve my health. It wasn’t until I spent a few dollars for a small sample when the putrid taste (what did I expect???) snapped me out of it. I mean, what business did I have researching, buying, and consuming this stuff when it would have definitely been healthier if I hadn’t just consumed a Carl’s Jr. burger and fries?? Boom! A perfect example of being sucked in!
Even savvy internet users can be caught up in the stuff that comes at us from myriad sources, especially when it looks interesting and pertinent to our lifestyles and activities.
Don’t stop checking things out, but 1) be aware of how much time you spend pursuing these headlines to dead ends, and 2) be vigilant about anything that doesn’t look and feel right. At the worst, it might well be a scam or at the very least, a massive waste of your precious time.
Finally, be aware how you feel after you read a few of these pieces. Are you slightly down or depressed? I think the message often is that 1) we’re not happy enough, or 2) there is a need for more, better, different things that, in actuality, we don’t need or want, and 3) that we need to trust what someone else says we need instead of listening to our hearts and souls about the abundance that is ours right here, right now.
Thanks, Antonia. We are just as gullible as all those poor, undeveloped teens who look to their phones for “how to be.” It’s all about “you’re not ok.” Our whole society is built on it. I’m struggling to come to terms with this age. All of the “shoulds” have landed on the Baby Boomer heads because there are so many of us and so lucrative to the industry. It used to be taken for granted that as people grew old, they became less able and then they died. Now we’re supposed to fight Mother Nature at every turn. God forbid we should have age spots, have droopy boobs, gray hair, etc. Here’s a quote from Mark Twain which I have on my fridge:
“The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not.”
Thanks for this, Christine. I’m glad to be in Baby Boomer trenches with friends like you!
Great Post!!!
The late Ronni Bennett blogged at Time Goes By. Her post can still be read.I hope others reread them, lots of sound advice there too.
Thanks again!
Thanks, Max. The fact that you would even mention my blog in the same breath as Ronni’s, well, that’s high praise.
I miss her!