When the System Decides You’re Old

When the System Decides You’re Old

From Mind the Gap by Michael Comyn

February 21, 2026 · 10 min · Season 4 · Episode 6

About this episode

Michael Comyn explores the implications of retirement age on identity and the psychology of ageing.

Mind the Age Gap | Retirement Age, Identity and the Psychology of Ageing What does retirement age really mean in modern life? In this episode of Mind the Gap , Michael Comyn explores the idea of the “age gap” — the gap between chronological age and how we actually experience ourselves. The reflection begins with a moment in a bank: an older couple being gently coached through online banking. They were not confused. They looked displaced. That observation opens a wider discussion about ageing, identity, and the subtle ways institutions categorise people after 65. Retirement age began as a 19th-century pension policy in Germany. Over time, it evolved into a powerful cultural label. Today, that label influences marketing, workplace perceptions, digital design, and even the tone of television advertising. In this episode, Michael explores: • The history of retirement age and its origins in public policy • The psychology of subjective age and why most adults over 60 feel younger than their years • The impact of marketing stereotypes, including the Werther’s Original “grandfather” campaign • Why certain UK television channels seem dominated by funeral and cremation advertising • The…

People in this episode

Host: Michael Comyn

Topics covered

  • retirement age
  • identity
  • psychology of ageing
  • cultural perceptions
  • marketing stereotypes
  • digital design

Keywords

  • retirement age
  • age gap
  • psychology
  • cultural identity
  • marketing
  • ageing
  • digital design

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Werther’s Original, UK television channels

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