The post-war baby boom generation makes up over a quarter of the American population. So what boomers think about, aspire to do and want to buy all make a big difference in the American economy and the social trends that shape our lives. Here are ten issues that baby boomers are focused on as we head into 2015:
1. They want a smaller but nicer house. In the 1980s and ’90s, baby boomers flocked to the suburbs to raise their families. Now the kids are grown, so boomers are getting ready to trade in their three- or four-bedroom homes for two-bedroom bungalows with little or no yard. Some may want the charm of an old neighborhood, but most are more interested in modern conveniences and minimal maintenance.
2. They long to live in a city. Baby boomers are tired of driving to work, the mall and the kids’ soccer games. By and large they want to move into more urban areas, but ones that are clean, crime-free and less costly. So goodbye New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles, and hello Portland, Maine, Savannah, Georgia, Austin, Texas, and Portland, Oregon.
3. They do not want to share their homes. Despite some reports of a trend toward home sharing — a la “The Golden Girls” — baby boomers are not interested in group living. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, less than 2 percent of baby boomers live in group quarters. Instead, with their kids finally gone, they want to enjoy the freedom of living in their own space in their own way. They want to feather their own nests, not move to a modern day commune.
4. They want to keep working. Some baby boomers claim they will never retire, and many others want to downsize their careers and keep working part time in a less stressful job. This desire to keep at least one foot in the workplace is partly driven by economic factors, but also by the prospects for living longer, healthier lives.
5. They want to travel. And not just to grandma’s house. Many of the more affluent boomers feel the pull of “name brand” destinations like Stonehenge, the Great Wall, Machu Picchu and the Pyramids. They also want to gaze at the natural wonders before acid rain or the rising tides destroy them, including Venice, the Great Barrier Reef, the rain forests and the Arctic.
6. They want to stay healthy. Many boomers flock to their health clubs. Even more stand in line at Whole Foods and other natural food purveyors to reap the benefits of healthy, organic fare. Farm stands are good. Farm-to-table restaurants are better. Home gardens are best of all.
7. They are embracing social media. Facebook started out as a platform for college kids. But now the aging parents of those college kids are all over Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media sites, sharing pictures of their pets, grandchildren and latest vacation.
8. Believe it or not, they are still dating. According to the Census Bureau, some 65 percent of boomers are married. But that leaves 35 percent who are single (17 percent divorced, 11 percent never married). And many of them are still interested in dating, using online dating services, frequenting meet-up groups and staying on the lookout, from the supermarket to their Salsa lessons.
9. Nostalgia is here to stay. The highest grossing bands are not the favorites of 20-something hipsters, like Jungle, Ratking or The Front Bottoms, but the old acts of yore like Bon Jovi, Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles and Paul McCartney. Meanwhile, what’s big on Broadway? “Cinderella”, “Jersey Boys”, “The Carole King Musical” and “Wicked”, the latest twist on “The Wizard of Oz”.
10. They want a slower, easier life. Baby boomers have the lowest rate of poverty among all age groups, according to the Census Bureau. Yet they exhibit the highest levels of anxiety. They worry about their health, losing their friends and their children moving away. And they feel insecure because of financial issues such as the stability of their pensions, the prospects for the stock market and all the questions that swirl around retirement programs like Social Security and Medicare.
Tom Sightings blogs at Sightings at 60 .
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What Baby Boomers Worry About originally appeared on usnews.com
