How to Say It
Why do pro-aging advocates say “older adult” instead of “senior” or something else? It’s based on research.
An organization called Frameworks Institute asked people to rate certain words on a scale, comparing them to different descriptors. For example, When you hear “senior citizen,” how technologically capable do you think this person is? They also asked how frail, independent, and more.
The scores were averaged to create an overall measure of perceived competence.
Results: “Senior” was rated the least competent, and “senior citizen” rated badly, too. “Elder” rated low—but that differs across cultures. The winner? …
“Older adult” says it best.
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