Sex and dating over 60: the last taboo?
Pippa Strutt, 22 February 2011A quarter of 18-30 year olds think sex after 60 is wrong, disgusting or only for ‘dirty old men’, according to our new research out today. However, a massive 44% of 18-30 year olds would be happy to date someone over 60 if the person in question was “hot” or if they fell in love with them.
We commissioned the study of 2,000 18-30 year olds as part of our mission to reframe the value of older age. We are on the hunt for like-minded brands to join us on a quest to challenge attitudes to the over 60s.
According to the study, one in ten 18-30 year olds think that people over 60 shouldn’t be dating or looking for new relationships, citing that they should “have separate beds” or “focus on being grandparents”. A further 15% of people thought that any dating past 60 would only be acceptable if it was for purely platonic purposes.
We also canvassed older people to find out if there might be a demand for a dating website for people in their 80s and 90s. A whopping 90% of people gave the idea the thumbs up in the survey, including Esme, aged 81, who met married her second husband in her 70s and is keen for other people in their 80s to find love again. “I have never looked back,” she explains. “Don’t be shy and you’ll find your kids and relatives accept your new partner!”
Gorgeous grannies over 60 may have even more dating opportunities as 17% of men aged 18-30 would date someone over 60 if she was “hot”, compared to just 7% of women. But both sexes were equally prepared to be swept away by romance, with 36% of women and 29% of men being prepared to date someone over 60 if they fell in love with them.
Dot Smith, aged 72, is particularly excited by the prospect of finding a younger boyfriend. “Life doesn’t stop just because you get older,” she explains. “I enjoy meeting new people and wouldn’t care how old someone was if I liked them. Why shouldn’t someone in their twenties find me attractive? It just shows they have excellent taste!”
With 42% of people over 65 being separated, divorced, widowed or never married – and with STD rates in the over 55s rising at a rapid rate – we at Forster AGEncy believe there is a need for a new attitude to sex and the sixties.
The time has come to challenge perceptions of older people. Today’s 65 year olds were the original teenagers and grew up during the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 70s. As people like Helen Mirren, Mick Jagger and Iggy Pop enjoy their 60s, it’s time to recognise the true worth of an age group that has traditionally been sidelined or ignored by marketers and much of society.
47% of 18-30 year olds hope that they will still be enjoying physical relationships once they pass 60.
People living in East Anglia are the most optimistic that their sex lives will continue into their sixties, with 58% intending to remain sexually active, compared to just 38% of Londoners. People living in Northern Ireland and Scotland were most against sex over 60, with more than one in ten people saying that your sex life should stop on your 60th birthday. Meanwhile, 52% of Londoners would happily date someone over 60 if they were attractive or they fell in love with them, compared to just 35% of people in the North East.
Given the significant economic power of people over 60, there
are extensive commercial benefits to be gained from developing
products, services and appropriate communications for this key
audience.
Check out today's
Mirror or The Sun to see what they think of our survey.