While we all know our date of birth, many of us may be unwilling to acknowledge that our chronological age puts us in the category of “senior citizen.” As one 57-year-old woman wondered when filling out the “senior” form at her physician’s office, “Me, a senior at age 57? Is there another word they could have used? Why was I so taken aback with this term and category?” There are objective markers in society that appear to create black-and-white lines between the years we are in midlife and the transition to being “a senior:” For example, when you become eligible for Medicare (age 65), or can begin collecting Social Security (as early as age 62). Some may relish the day they become eligible for senior discounts or can tap into AARP benefits. But all of these require you to admit you are chronologically at least 50 (for AARP) or 55-60 (for many senior discounts). Does admitting to these ages also constitute an admission of being “a senior citizen?”

As we’ve previously written, many experience a disconnect between their chronological age and the age they subjectively feel. While your driver’s license may peg you at 60, in your mind you may only feel 45. This subjective experience of feeling younger than your chronological age has become more pronounced in recent years. In fact, in a new study published in Psychological Science, researchers documented that people today feel younger than earlier cohorts felt. What that means, for example, is that “A 60-year-old born in 1936 would feel like a 53-year-old, or only about 12 percent younger. But a 60-year-old born in 1956 — two decades later — would feel like they were 50 years old, or about 17 percent younger.” While it’s not clear what’s causing these heightened “youthful” feelings, there are definitely positive health benefits as a result. We know that positive attitudes toward aging can result in longer, healthier lives. As Dr. David Sinclair, the noted Harvard scholar on the biology of aging, recently said, “If you feel younger, you are more likely to act younger. Maintaining a healthy and positive mindset as you age is one of the best things you can do for a longer life.”

It is possible that this heightened trend toward feeling younger results from so much negative stereotyping and imagery of older adults found in both social and mainstream media. It may be that many of us are trying to psychologically “distance” ourselves from the negative imagery of “old people” or “senior citizens” that permeate our society, something that wasn’t quite so prevalent decades earlier. On the negative side of this is the risk that if we think of ourselves as younger than we actually are, we may miss out on important preventive health measures that are critical for older adults to maintain their health and well-being into their later years.

The good news is that attitudes seem to be changing and we may no longer feel the need to psychologically distance ourselves from our true age in order to feel positive about aging. In a new Harris Poll survey conducted by Age Wave, a substantial shift regarding being an older adult today was documented. While positive attitudes toward aging may not yet be reflected in the media, older adults themselves believe that “seniors” are more active, open-minded, and curious than older adults of the past. The majority (71%) of adults over 65 surveyed said that they are currently living in the best time of their lives, and they even define “old” differently than their predecessors did. While in previous eras “old” was considered to be 60 and above, the majority of those surveyed in this poll said that 80 is now the marker of old. Furthermore, rather than pining for youthfulness, survey respondents said overwhelmingly (83%) that feeling useful is more important than feeling youthful.

So, while we wait for the media’s image of older adults to catch up with these newer attitudes, we may no longer need to shrink from the term “senior.” At least according to this survey, being a “senior” is now a pretty cool age to embrace. To read more on this survey of why “old age” isn’t what it used to be, celebrate your birthday proudly and read more here.