Graywashing

Graywashing, is defined as “the act of misleading consumers regarding any purported age-associated benefits of a product or service.” For example; an advertising campaign that promotes the idea that by using a particular product an older adult will become vivacious because of its special qualities, when in fact it is a routine product with the only difference being the color of the packaging. There are of course an endless number of ads across the media spectrum that target older adults with claims that are very questionable. Many of the messages that the older adult hears is that if you are not youthful you need to be fixed and the fix is outside of yourself.

However there are far more insidious and demeaning effects from these sophisticated advertising campaigns. Graywashing creates a diminishing backwash by minimizing the older adult’s value. It is an assault on self-esteem and the feelings of self-worth. Just last week I received an E-Newsletter from my Medicare Insurance Provider, which probably some of you received as well. The E-Newsletters’ topic for the month was about being happy. Below is the banner that appeared on the top of the page as an introduction to the topic on happiness. As reproduced the Banner was highlighted with a bold blue graphic as follows;

   challenge Yourself:  

Blow some bubbles.

“Relive some of the fun of childhood and pick some bubble liquid at your Local dollar store or other retailer. Work on taking deep breaths in, filling your Lungs with lots of oxygen, and blowing it back out. See what kinds of pretty (and temporary) artwork you can make in the air. Better yet, invite a friend of any age to join you and share some happiness.”

Looks good except when you read the text: Really…..work on taking deep breaths in….of all things … oxygen? Create some artwork…… and by the way……pretty…… is………… “temporary”! What…. share some happiness …..seriously?   Did a young copywriter who thinks that older people are easily entertained and mostly feeble author this? Or did an older adult with a very pessimistic view of the future prepare this copy? Apparently this is how they think older adults discover and experience emotions.

Hence for those of us on Medicare, what exactly is the message of this Banner? Is this sincerely meant to be a physical challenge? To me driving to and shopping in a store for the bubble liquid would be far more challenging. Or is this about being creative and imaginative? I was unaware that blowing bubbles constituted artwork, and if I were that aware, would I not know bubble art is only temporary? Finally is this about playfulness … maybe so; but if I invited someone to blow .. bubbles while offering them this same advice, would they ever visit again? Positioning this activity as a personal challenge underscores the fallacy of stereotyping older adults: that we are easily entertained, that our expectations of what can be achieved are so low and that we are physically and mentally incapable of any serious and lasting goals.

Aging does not preclude one’s interest in engaging in meaningful life’s task. Ashley Montagu a renowned Cultural Anthropologist definition of health is, “the ability to love, to work, to play and to think soundly.” These are ageless activities and it is within this framework that one finds feelings of self worth and the desire to provide service to others. It is probable that it is within this context we become awash in happiness.

According to Montagu, scientific data supports the concept of “Neoteny”; meaning that we humans are not meant to grow old but to grow young.   We are in a “developmental process” our entire lives. As like a child, older adults remain inquisitive, adventurous, creative, playful and physically active. This may be why sometimes when we look in the mirror and do not recognize that person looking back at us, it is because the person that we know internally speaks to the spirit that has always been within us and is unchangeable. Unquestionably, outwardly our features mature but inwardly our light is strong and does not dim.

For marketers or anyone else to suggest that older adult’s life challenges and emotions are so inconsequential that it can be bottled in bubbles, is offensive. Each and every day we older adults are uniquely situated to craft meaning into our lives and those we touch. It is the tapestry of spiritual wealth and love that offers us the best opportunity to write our own story and to imprint an indelible fingerprint that improves the future. This my friends, is a healthier and permanent brand of graywashing.

 

“Age does not depend upon years, but upon temperament and health. Some men are born old and some never grow so.” Tyron Edwards

Fighting, seeking and working for emotional, mental, physical and spiritual health offers us the best opportunity to experience happiness and realize heavenly rewards. To be healthy is a journey requiring great strength; for the passage is more like a serene countryside road often filled with potholes, detours, stops, starts and ever changing conditions. This journey will test our skills, perseverance and values.

To be healthy requires a conscious commitment to personal, family and community welfare. Andrew Weil M.D. speaks of the positive psychology of mindfulness; which is being attentive and focused on ourselves while recognizing how the outside world is affecting us. Mihaly Csiksgentmihalyi the author of Flow, a national bestseller, discusses the importance of controlling our consciousness and thereby controlling the quality of the experience.

Being productive and feeling competent, having a sense of control over the outcome of one’s affairs and connecting with others in the environment is the foundation of all health and happiness. In the book True Competition the authors speak of what they believe is every person’s goal, that being to feel Competent in Life, In Control of One’s Affairs and Connected to Others. Possessing and acting on these characteristics makes us strong and forceful and is the mechanism by which we overcome emotional, mental, physical and social challenges.

As guardians of our culture it is essential that we battle to remove the impediments and barriers that may prevent us from realizing our sense of purpose, strength and ultimately our health. And, perhaps the colossal obstacle to our health and happiness is – We. “Changing the way we age,” is a new dynamic that is beginning to take hold across the land, and the International Council on Aging is spearheading the concept. Our society is rapidly aging. Therefore it is important for us to be mindful of how we take care of ourselves and it requires us to reconfigure our institutions (business, government and social) in order that these provide both the facilities and policies that encourage involvement by older adults. Opportunities for an aging population in the work force and in the pursuit of leisure activities need to be advanced. It is, in many ways a spiritual quest, wherein heavenly rewards await by connecting us with each other in the present as well as in the future.