Taste, technology and aging (vs. Facebook)

I believe that good taste – and learning – have no age restrictions.

The other day I saw a darling 12-year-old girl interviewed during the TCM channel's Classic Film Festival; she was very knowledgeable and opinionated about her favorite classic movies. Some of our most stylishly tasteful customers at Pomegranate are, well, not quite spring chickens (neither am I, as I suddenly catapult towards 60... what?). Some are very modern in their aesthetic, and know what they're doing. You don't have to be a 24-year-old hipster to understand modern design. And you don't have to be 24 to understand all the new tech gadgets (although it helps if you cut your first teeth chewing on Dad's iPod). My dear father-in-law, at age 94, is a computer wizard and avid day trader.

So I was surprised today when I went to put together a little ad on Facebook. You write up your 90-character blurb, add a teeny tiny photo, then choose the parameters of who you want to reach and how many dollars per day you're willing to spend. You can be fairly specific, because alas, Facebook knows how old we are, where we live, and what our interests are. So I chose for my audience: women, from age 22 to... well, the age limit only goes to 64. As if anyone older than that does not understand or use Facebook. Really?  Or if you're at "official" retirement age, you're no longer viable as someone to market to? Here's news for all the demographics experts: everything's changing. Don't assume anything about our generation, who grew up with the Beatles and Rolling Stones in the background. Many of us may never actually retire. And we welcome technology and design and the arts into our lives. So there.