“Demography is destiny” was Treasurer Peter Costello’s oft-quoted comment when he referred to the Intergenerational Report released with the 2003 budget. And demography has tended to rule the airwaves in nearly every discussion of ageing societies, aged care, accommodation options for older Australians, retirement planning, and many more topics. Why wouldn’t it, you wonder. But there comes a time when too easy an acceptance of being treated as a number instead of the multitude of facets which create us human beings is counterproductive on just about every level.

For instance let’s think about accommodation for older adults, in particular retirement villages. The average age for those entering retirement villages is about 78. An industry has arisen to service those wishing to purchase such a form of accommodation. But since most states legislate that those aged above 55 can move into such villages, the marketers and the advertisers have decided to “go for” the 55-plus segment. And most of the resulting advertising, apart from the obvious problems of being fairly patronising and trivial, gets entirely hung up on the age of the prospective purchaser and assumed needs of someone that age.

Retirement village living for some 60-somethings is probably a fantastic solution to a desire for affordable, low maintenance housing in a close knit community. But do the ads say this? No way … they offer instead a strange picture of grey-haired individuals frolicking in village facilities – playing tennis, golf or splashing around in synchronized swimming – a strangely unrealistic portrayal of the activities of most older adults we know.

The same happens when retirement planning is discussed – it’s always about the size of your nest egg, and your age. Rarely about your life stage. Most advertisements from the financial services sector which tell you the wonders which await you when you retire. The first assumption is that, at age 60 or 65, you will stop work totally. The second assumption is that you will then wish to wander on beaches at sunset, hand in hand with significant other, with short breaks for games of golf and dining out. Again, it’s an all or nothing syndrome – no shades of grey, no transition from full time work, to just a few days, to something less. You’re either young and flat out working, or 65-plus and dreaming your days away.

And if you switch on the radio or read the newspaper you will be forgiven for concluding that 5.5 million Australians are all following each other, lemming like, to the coast for a sea change. The 5.5 million are of course those mythical beasts, beloved of demographers, called “baby boomers”. They include 42 year olds, 60 year olds, those who are married, never married, divorced, in de facto relationships, with adult children, young children, or nor children! Perhaps they are part of a blended family – or have no family. They might be retired, working 70 hours a week, working part time, studying, working flat out as carers, or smelling the roses 24/7. Some are rich – high net worth individuals as marketers love to call them – most are not. They are, in fact, living breathing individuals experiencing a multitude of life stages – not a homogenous lump that think in one way, and are just waiting to be wooed by the latest offering from marketers. And as for seniors – this loose definition which encompasses all over 60 year olds – again the allegedly “frugal” generation varies as widely as every other generation.

Yes, we can discern some trends and common traits within any group of people, but all of us are a lot more than our chronological age. It’s high time our media grew up and discerned the difference.