Nice way of asking people their ages (in a survey)

[Scramblinghealingdreaming]

I need to design a survey and find a way to ask people their ages. It is very informal and I would like to make it fun too if possible. I just need to know roughly.

I remember seeing something ages ago that made me laugh - particularly about asking older people (something like - 'enjoying retirement') but better than that and cant quite remember.

age brackets will roughly be

1. under 18
2. 18 - 30
3. 40 - 50
4. 50 - 70
5. over 70

I dont actually need to include the numbers as it doesnt need to be precise.

Any ideas?

Eugh. You’re going to end up offending people with cutesy generalisations about what they should be doing with their lives at a certain age. Just use numbers.

Just ask numbers.

You've missed out 30-40

Confusing for 50 year olds, you need to change the lower bracket to 49 or the higher bracket to 51.

I agree with a PP. Don’t do any cutsey things like you’re suggesting. Just use well-defined categories.

Thanks for replies so far. Given the project and my ability to work within the scope plus known audience etc my judgement at representing the survey is possibly slightly better placed.

Any helpful ideas certainly welcomed.

Just ask for year of birth then or if it doesn’t need to be precise stick to the age brackets above (but get them right).

What would ‘enjoying retirement’ even mean age-wise? Could be anything between 55 and 99!

@Scramblinghealingdreaming

Thanks for replies so far. Given the project and my ability to work within the scope plus known audience etc my judgement at representing the survey is possibly slightly better placed.

Any helpful ideas certainly welcomed.

If your judgment is better placed then why are you here asking for advice? That sounds snarky, which isn’t my intention. I just think if you’re dealing with a specific audience who will like that kind of thing and won’t feel patronised by it being a bit twee, you’re not going to get helpful advice from people who don’t know that audience.

The trouble with things like 'enjoying retirement' is its very vague.

What if someone is 80 and still working? What if they're retired but hating it?

Why the angst? Just use numbers! You don't need to find a 'nice way' to ask someone's age.

Some people retire in their mid to late 50s, some working in mid 70s. People can become parents in their teens or 40s. That's just people I know. Life stages aren't a good indication of age.

Agree with all the other comments. Age brackets only would be best. Anything more will just sound a bit contrived and risk offending/ upsetting people eg enjoying retirement: what if the person is struggling for money/ lonely/ caring for a spouse or even widowed. That comment could just make them feel even. Ore unhappy and alienated. Then what about younger age groups? Eg if you made a comment about partying with friends and they don’t have any or struggle to go out socially, or maybe a comment about busy family life/ kids keeeping you up all night, then someone who doesn’t have that could feel even more upset at their situation. You seem to want to do it anyway, but I always think that if there is an option to avoid upsetting others then that is best. You don’t know how people are going to feel after reading your comments, plus these sorts of cutesy/ ‘witty’ comments are seldom anywhere near as funny as the sender thinks they are

'enjoying retirement' would be ticked by people in both 50-70, and 70 plus, so surely that doesn't help you if you need age?

I agree with the comments above, stick to age boxes.

Kid
Spring chicken
Mid life crisis
Boomer

I agree with all the pps that I'd prefer numbers; definitions would come across as twee, irritating and/or patronising.

What is the purpose of the survey and who is the target audience? You might be able to persuade us to change our minds and agree with you that they would find definitions fun.

@Scramblinghealingdreaming

Thanks for replies so far. Given the project and my ability to work within the scope plus known audience etc my judgement at representing the survey is possibly slightly better placed.

Any helpful ideas certainly welcomed.

Wow - what an arrogant response. Do what you like as you clearly know best, despite having asked here.

There's no point in asking their age if the result could be ambiguous and doesn't help with the analysis of the survey.

If you want to know if people are retired, ask about their employment status instead.

Marketers etc often use the following age bands…
12-17
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65-74
75+

This is because they are looking for similarities between and differences across age groups, so these bands are more useful eg 18-24 = young adults, 24-35 = often settling down whilst 20-30 includes both life stages so gives less helpful distinctions.

You may have thought that ‘enjoying retirement’ was fun when you saw it but you may raise hackles for anyone who isn’t, or put people who are in a certain mind frame which will affect what they say in their later replies. Plus obviously it could mean a vast age group. One friend of mine retired at 35!

If it’s just a bit of fun and you’re not using your results to inform strategy etc, so you’re not bothered about prejudicing your respondents’ answers etc, then you just need to remember that you can’t take your findings too seriously either.

@TenThousandSpoons

Kid Spring chicken Mid life crisis Boomer

Love this!!!!

What do you want to find out? If it's their age, just use age brackets. If it's lifestyle, you could have tick-box options, e.g.

Retired
Stay at home parent
Working parent
Single
Living with spouse/long-term partner
Student
Living with parents

Why ask a question and then say this to the responders :

my judgement at representing the survey is possibly slightly better placed.

What a rude response. Especially when your list of ages left some people out altogether. Good luck with your survey.

Just put numbers, nobody is offended by them!

P.S. I design surveys.

@TenThousandSpoons

Kid Spring chicken Mid life crisis Boomer

Kid Old enough to know better Too old to care

Just put number brackets. A cheesy list would have me rolling me eyes and hitting the close button.

I also design surveys, and I have to ask complete strangers how old they are face to face in my volunteering.

If you want their age ask how old they are, in numbers. Just make sure you don't lump everyone over 65 in together.

If you want their lifestage make sure you have a really good comprehensive uncutesy list that's relevant to your survey, and include an 'other' option for the ones you haven't thought of.

If you feel you know better then go with your own judgement.

Agree with PP use numbers. Why did you ask the question as you se m to have set answers in mind?

You have retired in your 60s to look after grandchildren because your DD/DS died. What group would you tick and how would fun labels make you feel?

I’d be surprised if anyone had a “known audience” in any survey.