Age Guessing Challenge: Can You Figure Out How Old I Am?

Fascinating facts about aging

• The world is aging rapidly. The number of people aged 60 years or older will rise from 900 million to 2 billion between 2015 and 2050. That's a jump from 12% to 22% of the total global population. This aging is happening faster than ever before. For instance, while France had almost 150 years to adapt to a change from 10% to 20% in the proportion of the population that was older than 60 years, countries like Brazil, China, and India will have just over 20 years to make the same adaptation.
• Health in older age is not necessarily better than in previous generations. Little evidence shows that older people today are in better health than their parents. While the proportion of older people in high-income countries needing help with basic activities may have declined slightly over the past 30 years, there has been little change in the prevalence of less severe limitations in functioning.
• Noncommunicable diseases are the most common health conditions in older age. Regardless of where they live, the biggest killers of older people are heart disease, stroke, and chronic lung disease. The greatest causes of disability are sensory impairments, back and neck pain, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depressive disorders, falls, diabetes, dementia, and osteoarthritis.
• There is no 'typical' older person when it comes to health. Biological aging is only loosely associated with a person's age in years. Some 80-year-olds have physical and mental capacities similar to many 20-year-olds. Others experience declines in physical and mental capacities at much younger ages.
• Health in older age is not random. Most variations in older people's health reflect their physical and social environments and the influence of these environments on their opportunities and health behavior. These factors start to influence aging from childhood. This means that an older person from a disadvantaged background is both more likely to experience poor health and less likely to have access to the services and care that they may need.
• Ageism may now be more pervasive than sexism or racism. Ageism – discrimination against a person on the basis of their age – has serious consequences for older people and societies at large. It can obstruct sound policy development and significantly undermine the quality of health and social care that older people receive.
• Health systems need to be realigned to the needs of older populations. Most health systems around the world are ill-prepared to address the needs of older people, who often have multiple chronic conditions or geriatric syndromes. Systems must be capable of providing older person-centered and integrated care and focus on maintaining capacities as people age.
• All countries need an integrated system of long-term care in the 21st century. This could mean building a system from almost nothing or rethinking long-term care to maximize older people's functional ability and uphold their autonomy and dignity. The number of older people who need support for activities of daily living in developing countries is forecast to quadruple by 2050.
• Healthy Aging involves all levels and sectors of government. Intersectoral action includes establishing policies and programs that expand housing options, making buildings and transport accessible, promoting age diversity in working environments, and protecting older people from poverty through social protection schemes. Making progress on Healthy Ageing will also require a far better understanding of age-related issues and trends.

There are names for all the generations

There are different names for various demographic cohorts, which help to define similar behaviors and characteristics across generations. Understanding the quirks of each generation can help create harmony in office environments and living spaces. You've probably seen various TikToks about how generations respond to things. If you haven't seen the vids on TikTok, you might have read about it in the newspaper (ok, Boomer).

Baby boomers (1946 and 1964) are commonly known as Boomers. They're the generation who grew up without technology. They fueled the world economy, lived through many wars, protested, and kicked off the flower power movement. Gen X (1965 - 1979) didn't grow up with technology but have adapted quickly. They value work-life balance and independence, largely because their Boomer parents worked too hard.

Millennials (1980 - 1994) are outspoken, progressive, and entrepreneurial and bridge the divide between old and new. Gen Z (1995 - 2012) are all about inclusion, collaboration and are eco-aware. They're the crusaders and aren't afraid to speak out—something boomers never did.

It can get complicated, as there are micro-generations within these main cohorts and new generations developing.

Our personality quizzes are set up a little differently than your basic trivia quiz, but you’ve probably seen their kind around. Rather than having to choose the right answer from a list of multiple choice options, in this case, there is no “right answer”! (Two plus two will always be four, but every Golden Girls character is equally awesome.)

So, stop stressing. Just click on the answer that suits you best, and enjoy the ride. These quizzes are just for fun but who knows – you might just learn something about yourself along the way!