“Zoomers” are people that refuse to get any older and continue to wear the light clothes, bright makeup, brightly coloured hairstyles, and have a general sense of misplaced youthfulness.
A “zoomer” or a “golden ager” is an individual in their 70s or 80s who refuses to officially age and instead remains as young as possible by wearing the style of clothing still worn by children, sporting attitudes and mannerisms appropriate for someone decades younger than themself; often doing so without due regard for how this reflects upon themselves. This term was coined some time ago but has been reemerging recently due to our societal obsession with youth where things like hair dyeing has also become normalized even for older women.
It’s not uncommon to see a zoomer at the mall or in line for an “all-you-can-eat buffet” wearing skinny jeans, sneakers and some kind of jacket pulled over their heads with only certain sections of their pink scalps poking out while they struggle with their walkers. They’re often seen in public with adult children who are trying to keep them from embarrassing themselves.
Zoomers, in many ways, resemble children in their appearance and attitudes. They wear the same kinds of clothing as young people wear, such as unbuttoned shirts and T-shirts that seem like they’ve been designed for girls. They wear their hair in the same styles as children, such as with long and messy bangs or in pigtails. Because of this and because they often speak and act like young people, it’s common to mistake them for young people.
Zoomers also share many of the same qualities that you see in children, including things like very strong emotions, limited interests and conversation topics, and having a short attention span. They’re often unable to concentrate on things for more than a few seconds or minutes at a time.
As children do, zoomers tend to be impulsive. Since they’re not as aware of consequences as older people, they sometimes make decisions that are unwise.
Young children, like zoomers, often don’t think about how their behavior affects others. So if they want something, they aren’t likely to consider whether or not it makes sense for them to have it . They’re also less able than older people to understand what causes other people to feel happy, sad or upset.
Many zoomers are unable to care for themselves on their own. They may be unable to dress themselves appropriately for the weather, maintain personal hygiene or prepare meals. Many elderly people who display this behavior have dementia leading some doctors to believe that it’s not possible for some older people with dementia to live on their own. While it’s true that some older adults with dementia do not need to live in a nursing home, others are perfectly capable of living on their own as long as they have proper care and supervision.
