...Marketing to Mature Audiences: #9 Designing your website with older audiences in mind will “wreck it.” March 2010 INTRODUCTION Common sense tells us that the more often people engage in an activity, the more skilled and experienced they become—and navigating the Internet is no different. The more comfortable people become with maneuvering websites by using the links, the greater the chance that they’ll find the information for which they’re looking. While this applies to any age group that surfs the Internet, the difference is that teenagers and young adults have grown up using the Internet— whereas people age 55 and over may not be as adept at this ever-evolving technology. Today, more and more older adults are going online: 45% of people aged 70-75, and 27% of people age 76 and over, according to a recent report.1 While these Baby Boomers and mature adults are eager to tap into the almost infinite resources that are available online, they are not as intuitive when maneuvering around sites that are often crowded with information, links, and uninviting designs. In addition, they often have physiological conditions that limit their ability to read, follow, and navigate websites. To enhance the online experience for their older adult audience (and increase the chances of gaining their business), companies must make their websites as usable and accessible as possible. While this would seem obvious, it’s widely believed that changing design features on behalf of older adults (using...
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...characters they see. These relationships can blossom into life lessons on friendships, manners, early learning education, and much more. The results from the adults in their lives not fostering these relationships correctly and limiting the viewing to age-appropriate shows are not evident until later when it has affected the child. The early years of a child’s psychological and cognitive development are the most important. When parents allow younger children to watch shows targeted for older children (and adults), their cognitive development bypasses the fundamental lessons teaching them about issues and problems they are not yet equipped to handle. The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study noticed there were unique reciprocal effects between positive parenting and child's cognitive abilities found at nine and twenty-four months. (Park, 2012) Adults must understand the necessity of age-appropriate, learning-leveled television shows for children to prohibit the detrimental effects that watching inappropriate television shows has on them. The relationship between a child and the television shows they watch can have a huge impact on their lives. There are cartoon shows that teach math skills, problem solving, natural science, engineering, music, collaboration, and second languages along with intrapersonal, emotional, and social skills. These lessons are important and age-appropriate for young children. When young children watch shows meant for teenagers (or even adults) they learn about issues...
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...Every individual matures throughout his or her life, some much quicker than others. Maturity greatly relies on the environment children are raised in and the people around them, every aspect affecting their development. As children mature they typically learn about negative traits and how to develop good ones. They learn from others and create a pathway for their own individuality in order to become an adult. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, Scout begins as an innocent child protected from the evils of society, but later matures and develops to become an understanding individual. Innocence from the world’s evils is usually interpreted as a positive trait, however, the opposite occurs in To Kill a Mockingbird because...
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...Davis 11/25/14 Professor Pearse Emerging Adulthood: My Story After leaving the adolescence stage, young adults are not ready mentally to take on adult roles and responsibilities. Therefore the stage called emerging adulthood takes place before adulthood is entered. There comes a point in an individual’s life where he/she must surpass his/her youth and enter adulthood. This development, otherwise known as maturity, often transforms the individual in all physical and mental characteristics. Maturity, in many ways, sets the basis for how a person will view and approach life. I have experienced maturation from a shy and insecure child in middle school to a responsible and confident young adult in high school and throughout college. However, some people seem to think that this level of maturity comes to a stopping point once you reach a certain age. I have learned that that is not the case at all. Being mature plays a role in every aspect of life in general, which means it is an ongoing growth no matter your age, race, ethnicity, or gender. Personally, since I was a little girl I have always had a mature mindset in many situations. I had never act my age and I always found myself hanging out with older girls and guys. Everyone around me said I act like their mom when it came to making long and short term decisions. I was not your typical teenager when it came to romantic relationships or friendships of any kind. One example that showed me I had a very unique maturation was when I was...
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...Single stereotypes have been identified for several decades since Duberman (1975) and Stain (1976) found that people viewed singles as less desirable and less natural than people who are married. Since then, the population of singles in the U.S. has increased dramatically (U.S. Census Bureau, 1970-2002). In 1970, single adults comprised about 28% of the adult population; however in 2014, according to the dataset of America's Families and Living Arrangements, the percentage of single adults among the general adult population had increased to 38%. As the population of singles has become larger, one might expect that certain stereotypes towards singles might have changed from the 1970s. However, a recent study (Hertel et al., 2007) indicated that...
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...short story is about a young boy called Alex. Alex’s parents have some serious problems in their relationship and Alex witnesses this when he is hiding under his parents’ bed. Alex is hiding under the bed while his parents are having a conversation. The mother is undoubtedly lacking attention from the father who only talks about the vernissage that they are going to that evening. Alex is the main character in the short story. I think Alex is between nine and thirteen years old but we are not told the exact age of Alex. Mentally his age is however much lower. He is about the mentally stage where children want to be more mature and get more responsibility, but they also want to be like they just are now. For example at line 49: “Maybe he was getting too old for banana sandwiches. He thought about saying that he didn’t want to eat them anymore. But he liked them.” It is blatantly that Alex wants to be more like a grown up but he still likes the childish things as banana sandwiches in triangles. His toothbrush is also childish and therefore he wants to get a more mature toothbrush. So Alex’s conflict is that he on one hand wants to be more like an adult but on the other hand wants to do what he likes to do. But after witnessing his parents’ talk, he concludes that it is time for him to grow up. The relationship between Alex’s parents is not very good anymore. I think the relationship used to be good but it seems like the father are busier with his carrier than with his family, which...
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...Transforming into an Adult What is an adult? In my opinion being an adult is not just getting old enough to reach the legal age. Turning 18 doesn’t necessarily mean that you are already an adult, yes you are legally considered an adult, but according to science, an adult is any organism old enough and has reached sexual maturity and be able to produce offspring,. These two definitions are what people call the “social adults” and the “biological adult”. In my own experience, the first time that I felt like an adult was when the adults in my family asked my opinion during dinner. Growing up in a predominantly Chinese family, children’s opinions are not really considered during family discussions. On that day we came from the cemetery and we proceeded to a Chinese restaurant because of some supernatural mumbo jumbo about the bad spirits and other beliefs. Everybody was doing their usual routines the adults sat together talking about politics and the like, and we the children sat together and played with our toys and with each other. Of course I, being the nosy boy that I am, was listening intently to what the adults were talking about. My father noticed me eavesdropping on their conversation, and then he asked me to tell the family what I think about what they were talking about. I remember feeling really enthusiastic as I voiced out my opinions and participated in their adult discussions. This was my first memory of being treated as an adult, a mature member of the family. ...
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...by exhibiting films with more mature content, and with narratives that reflected the cultural and social tensions of the time. The Film Studios Collaborate With the Television Networks Once television became a household norm in the mid-1950s, the film studios...
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...According to McCarson (2008), the best feature of Wlodkowski’s book, Enhancing adult motivation to learn: A Comprehensive guide to teaching all adults is his call for action and change among all educators. After considering the sixty different strategies designed to motivate adults to learn and engage in the classroom, the reader cannot help but feel inspired to lead and engage adults to further their studies. The real question is, however, do these instructional strategies translate into helpful tips for advisors working with adults who are returning to college? McCarson believes that Wlodkowski starts with a biological basis for adult willingness. Nonetheless, he explains why our brains are adrenalized in certain ways and why some prompting strategies work better than others. That being said, even the non-scientific reader will find that this clarification provides a solid basis for the rest of the book (McCarson, 2008). There are equivalent strategies and tips throughout the book to remind teachers that their jobs are not only to advise students as they advance through their college careers, but to be encouraging and influential. Mature students particularly can lose attention and commitment in their studies; teachers need to know how to build back that eagerness. Though, Wlodkowski’s reasonable ideas for intensifying...
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... In middle childhood and adolescence there are many transitions that a child faces. A child changes from early childhood; venturing into public school systems and finding friendships outside of their family. Children in middle childhood are confronted with peer, academic, and sport groups. For the first time they have the opportunity to form relationships with individuals who may challenge their family’s morals and values. The child whose main focus was family will mature into an adolescent, who is more comfortable around peers than their mother and father. These common changes in a child’s life are transitions just like the biological and social transformations the body will experience. Rites of Passage A Rite of Passage is “any important act or event that serves to mark a passage from one stage of life to another” (American Dictionary, 2006). Rites of passage combine separation, initiation, and reintegration. During these steps, a child is separating themselves from a parent, friend, or past knowledge to make a deeper discovery of themselves and life. During this journey, the individual has changed and become more mature in thought and understanding. The voyage from adolescence into adulthood will be an experience of several rites of passages. A girl will begin menstruating, an occurrence stating that she is entering motherhood, and a boy will begin growing body and facial hair and broadening shoulders signifying manhood. Though, Western civilization does...
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...foundation of any successful relationship. This good communication is necessary for healthy relationships, but it can be a difficult skill to master. Brad Manning expresses his own troubles communicating with his father in the essay, “Arm Wrestling with My Father”. In this piece, Manning shares his struggle finding love through his father’s physical forms of endearment. However, as he matures, he understands the purpose of his father’s actions and realizes he will soon take his father’s place protecting the family. Similarly, Sarah Vowell expresses her own conflict with her father in the essay, “Shooting Dad”. Young Sarah and her father do not agree on much of anything. Their differences challenge the strength of their relationship, resulting in difficulty getting along. But even so, once Vowell gains maturity, she begins to see that she and her father are more alike than she originally thought. She finds that they share three qualities: hard work, passion, and love. Due to miscommunications, Both Manning and Vowell experience similar struggles feeling loved by their fathers. Miscommunications linked to indirect communication, differences in morals and values, and lack of feeling relatable are inevitable between parents and children; but, once matured, children are able to expand their minds to understand and connect with their parents’ beliefs. Indirect physical forms of affection are often overlooked by children as actions with no intentions. Adults, understanding communication...
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...Many people wish that they could be an adolescence forever. Adolescence is a time where we go through puberty and evolve and mature mentally and physically. During this time we have physical development including the adolescent growth spurt and also sexual development. Everyone has a little bit different maturation and I believe that because of this, this would be the reason why people would want to be a adolescent forever. For most adolescents and teenagers being an adolescent is a time to rebel and to have fun. The main reason for this would be that many adolescences have not reached their peak of maturity. Even though they yearn to be known as adults by adults and their parents, they actually fear the responsibilities of growing up such as working and supporting a spouse and kids. They feel that they want to be more independent but fear being totally independent, it's actually almost an oxymoron. Even though as earlier stated I don't want to be an adolescent forever now, I did at one point feel that way. When I was younger at about the age thirteen I was nearly done my physical and sexual development but I was far behind in my social development. I've always had a good strong relationship with my parents but I had never had a strong romantic relationship until the current one which started last year. I also as many still do I was still somewhat afraid of the idea of having to support myself working a job to make all the money to support even myself, although I now accept...
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...Dating is a hot topic for parents and for teenagers. Many parents believe that their children should wait to date, because they are not mature or there is no point in dating unless you plan on marrying that person. But why wait to date; you should learn how to handle a relationship and how to get along with the opposite gender. There are a lot of “thumbs up” to dating. Why do parents think we as teens aren’t mature? The truth is teens are mature but in their own way. We can act stupid and laugh at stupid stuff—just like adults do. But that doesn’t mean that we aren’t mature, it just means that we want to have fun and enjoy life. We as teens can be serious too, but only when we need to be. Dating is a way that will help us mature and “grow-up”. It will help us feel grown-up as well as teach us lessons that we will use when we are “gown-up”. All parents tell us teens about dating are the negative side to dating, but they always leave out the positive. There are so many positives such as communication and trust. When you are dating someone you need to communicate and talk about how you feel and just everyday life to learn more about each other and to stay connected. Also when you are in a relationship you need to trust your partner, trust is a huge life skill that you need to learn when you are young. Dating as a teen is a good way to find out what you are looking for in a spouse. Dating can also help you with hurt and rejection. Which will also help you in the future, rejection...
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...himself how great things were with Allie. The second internal conflict is that he is unable to deal with the complexity of adult world. Holden thinks adults are phony and perverted. The Mature part of Holden does look for connections with girls in possibility of sexual encounters. Sexuality is the big part of adulthood that a teenage boy can’t ignore. The conflict is perceived when Holden points out that, even though he has attempted to have sex, he is still virgin because he is able to stop when girl asks him to do so. Even though he desires physical and emotional proximity in adult level, he pulls back himselfs to act as a child as a consequence of his image of adult phonies world and his thoughts of intimacy based on emotions. For example, deep relationship with Jane represents another perspective of intimacy based not only sex but also on emotions. For holden, sexuality implies corruption and lost of innocence, which are aspects he hates most about the adult world. This make him not only suppress sexual contact, but also do not address his emotions directly with adults. It get difficult to function within society because of his defensive manner. He is not comfortable with his present life and becomes alone in his own mind. His resistance for growing up into maturity(leading to hypocrisy) detains establishing mature relationship or interpersonal relationships. Being unable to move to next transition. For this conflict, Talking to Phoebe was effective to make holden realize that...
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...for most adolescence on the verge of becoming adults. While it allows for opportunities for new freedoms, it also signifies the beginning of increased responsibility. In the past, getting married and starting a family were important benchmarks in the transition of becoming an adult. However, in Furstenberg, Kennedy, Mcloyd, Rumbaut, and Settersten’s (2004) article, many Americans eighteen years and older now view completing one’s education and financial independence as the most significant signs of becoming an adult. These are important steps to placing one’s self in a position to start a family if one chooses to do so, but the act of marriage and parenthood are no longer viewed as key milestones (p. 36). Furthermore, the manner in which people view their...
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