Chinanews, Beijing, Sept. 22 – It doesn't matter if you are 40, 55, or 60 years old. After you retire, you are regarded as an aged by others.

 

Yesterday, you might be giving speeches at office meetings dressed in red with a MP3 around your neck; but today, when you cannot recall a phone number, you may begin to wonder if you have got Alzheimer's disease. Some of you may even feel you have turned old overnight.

 

According to a new standard released by UNESCO, people under 65 belong to the middle-aged group, while those from 65 to 74 are called "the young elderly". In China around 70 percent of the retired are still below 65, so they belong to the middle-aged group.

 

However, these retired middle-aged people are experiencing the aged people's life in advance.

 

Some have to serve as babysitters of their grandchildren; some are indulged in playing mah-jong or cards; and others always stay lonely for the whole day. But still others do not want to surrender to the age thanks to the social development. Like young people they also flock to KTV rooms, write blogs in the Internet, chase movie or singing stars and join backpackers in traveling everywhere.

 

China Newsweek interviewed twelve middle-aged people from 40 to 50 in August, and found three elements related with happiness are concerned most by them. First, they want to be relatively well off, and live the rest life with dignity. Second, they need certain social life and good life quality. And the third is good health.

 

Another survey shows that 90 percent of the retied in cities have retirement pension and their own houses, with no need for their children's support. However, what they need have changed from material wellbeing to the mental requirements. They want not only to see their children regularly, but also to communicate with them. Communication with their children has become the only way for them to be connected with the society.