To wonder why up to 35 is now considered young

[thedaywewillremeber]

I’ve just seen an article where young people are referred to as being up to 35. Aibu to wonder why this is when it used to be 25 maximum that was viewed as a young person.

From a having babies/getting a mortgage/creating a pension or savings perspective, saying that up to 35 is young is quite a dangerous thing.

There are just so many posts on here where people are discussing when to start trying for babies and they're already mid 30's. As someone who knows very well how difficult it can be to get pregnant when you're older, it seriously worries me that people are being fed such a lie that could really bite them.

Middle aged is 40 to 45 and over.
Most people live over 70 these days so 35 isnt middle aged.

I’m 40 and I still feel young, so that’s all that matters.

Because 35 is probably the age now when you can afford to buy a house, it used to be about 25.

When I was 18, I was entirely convinced that 35 was middle aged.

I was very young and rather clueless.

I think young adult is 18 - 30, adult is 30-50, middle age 50-65 and elderly 65+

I don’t think it is particularly young. But people really don’t seem as independent as they used to. Teenagers are definitely babied for longer, and twenty somethings often still live at home. I don’t think it is a good thing and I do feel a bit sorry for young people today.

I'm 35 today I don't feel young young, but not old either, I have a 16yo dd and almost 15yo ds. On the other hand my twin sister still lives at home, with our mum, and seems to act a whole lot younger. Though I think it's having children that's aged me

In the 70s and 80s, most people were married by 25. They had kids and rent to pay. Few people travelled or partied because they has family commitments

Now, a large % of people don’t have children until their late 30s so are still out socialising at 35.

Plus we now have gym bunnies and runners who have the energy of 25yos at 35. They were not the norm in 1975.

And life expectancy has risen, so ages are relative.

@LibrariesGiveUsPower

According to my 87 year old Nan 40 is young. I’ll happily take her word on it.

Yep, my 82 year old dad calls me young, I'm 48. I'm happy with that, even though my body is shagged our.

I agree with @Noconceptofnormal, we need to create a new word/phrase to describe “youngish but not young adults.” Like “tween” for 10-12 year olds.😄

I find it odd to think of early-mid 30’s as young, just doesn’t sound right when someone’s been an adult for 15-odd years.

Surely it all depends on context? 35 can be lots of things. If you're surveying people about their thoughts on pensions, then it's probably young. If you're talking about obstetrics then it's geriatric. If you're grouping people in small increments of age for some sort of opinion poll then it's probably in the middle.

I’m 36 and I definitely feel ancient but the reality is, if we are to live to our life expectancies then we are still on the younger side of things. I don’t think in all honesty you can call 35 old, that would be quite weird.

It’s not young in the sense that you can get away with making silly immature mistakes that you could have got away with in your late teens or early twenties. But it’s physically still young...your body, providing you haven’t got a disability or other long term chronic illness, should still be able to do a lot of things people in their 20s can. I know lots of older women who felt they were most attractive in their mid-30s so that must have something to do with relative youthfulness but maybe a more pulled together look.

I actually see the opposite attitude on here. That on the day you turn 35, you must immediately start wearing frumpy clothes, have all your hair cut short, all your eggs dry up and it’s cruel to have a child, your life is essentially over. I’ve never read anyone saying, “oh 35 is so young! You’re practically a baby” or anything like that.

When people have said, irl, that 35 is young I’ve always just taken it to mean that your not yet at an age where most things are no longer possible. Providing there are no medical issues already, you can still take up most sports, have a baby, touch your toes, change careers, move to the other side of the world etc etc without having to worry too much.

I don't think 35 is young. It's not old. It's sort of in the .... middle? I think we have a word for that. ;)

Of course 35 is still young. What is the point of this thread?!

@Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow

Of course 35 is still young. What is the point of this thread?!

Well... what is the point of any thread. The point is just whiling away the small hours. Don't fret. Your participation is not mandatory.

I think 30s are still ‘young’ in the sense that you’re not quite ‘middle aged’. But I also feel significantly more grown up, self confident and more together than I did as a 21 year old starting a grad job in a badly fitted suit.

We regularly have students in their early twenties on placement at my work, and I do feel I am at quite a different stage of maturity and life to them, but I still don’t feel ‘old’.

My friends and I are probably fitter and more energetic than we were in our early twenties due to better eating habits have stopped the binge drinking and recreational drugs and more sleep and exercise.

jolokoy I liked your response. You properly made me giggle. Which hasn’t happened in a while!

Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow Hurray!

Now I really must seek out coffee and accept it is morning. Groan!

Young is currently up to 53. It goes up a year each March ......

Gmil is 94 and talks about the young woman over the road.. Young woman is around 60 😄

I tend to think of if you are still living at home with your parents would you be considered as too old to do so.

Having said that I am 55 and older people still refer to me as young lady! I am definitely old and I remember thinking when I had my last baby at the age of 30 was I too old to have anymore.

Now I think of 30s as young though as I have a son of 31 and he still seems young.

@NiceLegsShameAboutTheFace

Young is currently up to 53. It goes up a year each March ......

I think all people born in March carry on being young :)

Damn, I’m middle aged at 36? I don’t feel massively young (toddlers will do that to you) but I’m not middle aged! I only just passed the point 2 years ago where I no longer had to work for more years than I’d been alive so far before I could get my pension.

I'm guessing it's because the average age of marriage and house buying has gone up.

I can vividly remember being 21, new graduate and going to an 18-30s meet up full of 35-50s pretending to be younger. They probably saw it as being young at heart but I just found them deluded and depressing.

I swore I'd face middle age with some dignity and approaching 35 I think I'm sticking to it. I'm not old yet but I know I'm not the same as I was in my 20s. Being young at heart is great but also be yourself.