Enter the Post-Age Society

As discussed in Future Consumer Life Cycle 24/25, many milestones associated with specific life stages are no longer fit for purpose. Consequently, many people are feeling freer to pivot their lifestyles and identities at any age. But this freedom is often impinged upon by enduring ageist mindsets, both internal and societal.

Nostalgia as a Youth Coping Strategy

Globally, 15% of Gen Zers would rather think about the past than the future (GWI, 2023). They’re splurging on things that help them recapture the innocence and playfulness of childhood. By spending on products they saw as kids (but couldn’t have), they may be trying to assert financial independence in the face of early adulthood’s challenges.

The Trouble with Relevance

Ageing out of the internet – the realisation that one no longer understands online discourse – is a new rite of passage, currently experienced most acutely by Gen Xers and millennials. But twentysomethings are starting to express similar sentiments, stoking demand for brands that allow people to feel current without needing to be embedded in trend cycles.

Addressing Superficial Signals

As people spend more time looking at their faces on video calls or social media, the demand for cosmetic treatments is rising, especially among younger generations. Rather than being only skin-deep, the rising interest in and fear of visible signs of ageing speaks to an enduring undercurrent of ageism in mass culture.