How To Be A Zoomer

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Are you a Zoomer?

A look in the mirror won’t give you the answer. It’s easy to know whether you are a Baby Boomer, a member of that well-defined and much publicized demographic born within the post World War II years of 1946-1964. Now that Boomers are aging, another term has arisen that breaks up the Boomer generation into another category called Zoomer. Being a Zoomer has less to do with the year you were born and everything to do with how you feel and approach life as you age.

How Do You Spell That?

While the term Zoomer has been around since at least 1998, when it was copyrighted by Dr. David J. Demko, a gerontologist at Miami Dade Honors College, you shouldn’t feel left out if you are unfamiliar with it. Wikipedia still lists Zoomer as an old model scooter by Honda or a personal digital assistant by Casio. Webster’s online dictionary defines Zoomer as someone "who sells fake crack and then flees" before adding, almost as an afterthought that a Zoomer is "a baby boomer with zip," as defined by Moses Znaimer, a Canadian media mogul and broadcaster and founder of ZoomerMedia Limited.

What Retirement?

Znaimer described Zoomers as Boomers who were energetic, involved and financially influential. The old-fashioned idea of retirement spent sipping ice tea in a rocker on the veranda is obsolete, as Zoomers remain adventurous, healthy and productive far beyond traditional retirement age. "Everybody wants to live longer but nobody wants to be considered old," Znaimer told the Windsor Star in 2009. Zoomers are "celebrating a new kind of old."

How To Zoom

What makes a Zoomer? According to Demko, Zoomers are Boomer trendsetters who are unfettered by their years. A good part of what defines a Zoomer is the persistent effort to control physical, spiritual, social and financial health as the years go on. Take a look at Demko’s requirements for the inside secrets of how to zoom:

1. Zoomers understand the difference between aging that occurs naturally due to genetic background and the unnecessary or early aging that occurs because of an unhealthy lifestyle.
2. Zoomers are proactive about their health and monitor consistently for inherited health problems such as cancer or heart disease.
3. Zoomers take daily measures to remain strong and healthy through daily exercise, nutritious diet and weight management.
4. Zoomers maintain a supportive circle of close, trusted friends.
5. Zoomers have an active spiritual life and belong to a church, synagogue or other faith group.
6. Zoomers maintain passion for life and a positive self-image.
7. Zoomers have solid, long-term retirement plans that can sustain an active lifestyle.
8. Zoomers serve the community through volunteering and advocacy.

To zoom no longer means bringing images closer in your camera lense or making the type bigger on your Word document. Zooming means the planning, vigilance and effort it takes to stay vital and engaged as you age. Today, zooming may be what any lucky, healthy Baby Boomer aspires to.

So, now you may want to answer the question: do you zoom?

Editor, 02/03/2012