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Discussion » Questions » Life and Society » If gender isn't fixed, then why is age?

If gender isn't fixed, then why is age?

We can make our own decisions to change name, gender, or gender identification. Transgender people can have their genders changed on their birth certificates. Why shouldn't changes of age/birth date be allowed? If sex doesn't objectively exist, why does age? If feelings determine sex, why don't feelings determine age? If we are to regard sex as assigned at birth, why don't we regard age as assigned at birth?

Posted - November 13, 2018

Responses


  • 1893
    Ah the article on the guy suing to change his age on Tinder.  Plain and simple it is used as a screening tool for dating and an identifier for classification purposes.

    In short Marketers and Women seeking men do not want old farts clogging their in boxes.  The biggest complaint that the dating sites have the seekers do not want old timers hitting on them.  Marketeers want a certain demographic tro target their ads and products at.

    The gender one is a separate box which can be flushed before time and effort is wasted on a worthless response
      November 13, 2018 3:00 PM MST
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  • 22891
    not sure why
      November 13, 2018 3:28 PM MST
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  • 7939
    This thought stuck me when I saw the question about someone trying to have his age legally changed, but I think there are some core fundamental differences.

    First, there are legitimate physiological differences in trans people. There have been studies that test their brains and such. There are hallmarks. It's not something that someone wakes up and decides to be one day. They are a certain way and that goes beyond feelings. Those feelings are caused by physiological differences. 

    Age, in some respects, is not standardized either. For example, a person who is 80 could well be as fit and healthy as someone in his 60s. Genetics and how the person has cared for him/ herself over the years matters. If you live a sedentary life, don't have good nutrition, abuse substances, and so on, you will age faster and have a worse outcome in your golden years. This is precisely why some people live without assistance into their 80s and 90s, while others start to suffer major health consequences and have reduced quality of life decades earlier. Ergo, it would stand to reason that someone who is "younger" based on behavior and health should be treated as if he or she is younger. 

    The argument I saw was more related to marketing though. The person felt that their credit score and other details were reduced because he was older. And, in this case, I disagree. Everything today is based on big data. Marketers know more about you than you probably know about yourself. Even a few years back, Target sent a "congrats" letter out to a teenager for her pregnancy based on her purchases. The dad flipped at Target for doing so, given the age of his daughter. Well... Target predicted correctly. The girl was indeed pregnant. Target learned a valuable lesson, though... just because they have the data doesn't mean people can handle it. It's unsettling to us. Chances are, no matter what big brand you're associating with, they know full well what age you're behaving like and are already using the data to market to you. There is no benefit to having your legal age changed. 

    As far as dating sites go... I saw the other comment... that's one I had not heard of, but I think that's lame as well. I don't know that changing your age matters. People either are or are not going to be interested in you. If age matters to them, it doesn't matter what your listed age is. If it doesn't, then they're going to leave their search parameters more open. When I was on dating sites, I initially set the bracket to as little as one year older than me to about 15 years older than me. After a while, I expanded it to I think maybe 5 years younger than me and 30 years older than me. Despite that, I still connected more/ had better connections with men who were 10-15 years older than me. Freaking Match.com decided it knew me better than I knew myself, but every time they found someone for me outside the demographics I selected, he was not someone I would have dated. And, that's not to say I was special or the men were bad/ wrong. The probably would not have been happy with me either. We simply were not good matches. 
      November 13, 2018 5:40 PM MST
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  • 2052
    Target sending a congratulations card for an unannoounced pregnancy is creepy, really, the stalking kind of creepy.  I would sue them for invasion of privacy.  They sound like Facebook, with an attitude of entitlement they don't have. 
      November 13, 2018 5:56 PM MST
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  • 1893
    When I used Match I had the same experience if not worse - too funny
      November 14, 2018 4:57 AM MST
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  • 7939
    D: They made a huge deal about how they have a super smart algorithm to determine compatibility, but for whatever reason, they considered all "high-energy" people to be into fitness. Sure, I'm a Type A, but I sit on the computer all day. I'm not going to jive with someone who's a fitness trainer or thinks jogging is fun. Moreover, the first match and message I got was from a retired man who was 30+ years older than me, lived in another state, had no children, and sat on the opposite end of the political spectrum from me. He was nice, don't get me wrong, but a romantic match... I think not. O_o I complained and they told me that I was in the wrong and needed to give my matches more of a chance. I was like, "Ok, lady... What's this guy gonna do when he comes back from his triathlon training and finds me sitting at my computer in my sweat pants with a bag of Cheetos? What's he going to do when he asks me to go jogging with him and I fall out of my chair laughing?" Please, save me and all my "matches" the agony and freaking fix your system, Match. :o
      November 14, 2018 10:58 AM MST
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  • 1893
    Too funny - I am the Marathoner, outdoor addict, over read nerd who they tried matching with reality show junkies who could compete in the Coach Potato Olympics. 

    I do remember which was not Matches fault - profile was misstated, picture 20-30 years out of date, at least 10 years older than me and her upper plate fell out while she was talking.  The conversation was pleasant though and the event still makes me smile at the absurdity of life sometimes
      November 14, 2018 11:42 AM MST
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  • 7939
    LMAO Oh the joys of online dating. 
      November 14, 2018 11:54 AM MST
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  • 448
    And can we change our race as well?
      November 13, 2018 6:02 PM MST
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  • 5391
    I think this one might be simpler than it appears. We cannot change the date we were born. It is a documented historical fact. It is not a matter of perspective. 

    We can lie about it, and maybe fool people.
    Kinda creepy, IDK.
    Birth dates on official Birth Certificates are not subject to personal belief, nor alterable by surgery. This post was edited by Don Barzini at November 14, 2018 2:31 AM MST
      November 13, 2018 6:06 PM MST
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  • 5354
    You are free to tell people you are whichever age you want.
    And people are free to choose whether they believe you. or not.
      November 13, 2018 9:19 PM MST
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  • 952
    I appreciate your question without any logical answer!!
      November 14, 2018 2:30 AM MST
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  • 6098
    I made a lengthy answer to your question Stu which was apparently deleted so I will try again knowing full well this may suffer the same fate. 

    Yes by the current fashionable logic that makes perfect sense.  But I say let anyone play dress-up or pretend or any games they choose but don't expect me to play them as well. We may change the legal definition of a "sow" so it means an apple but that does not mean that a sow is an apple!

    I was born a woman at a particular time and I am what I am and I try just to make the best of it all.  My generation just tried to be ourselves and did not pretend to be anyone or anything we are not. Instead we learned to love ourselves and accept ourselves and to find what was good in us for ourselves and others.  Period.  All else, far as I am concerned, is only wishful thinking and play-acting. 


      November 14, 2018 7:26 AM MST
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  • 6023
    You could go by the Telomere Age Test.
      November 14, 2018 2:54 PM MST
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  • 16762
    Age isn't fixed, it changes every year. When they sing that song:
    "Happy birthday to you 
    Happy birthday to you 
    Happy birthday dear Stu
    Happy birthday to you" it goes up by one.
      November 14, 2018 6:01 PM MST
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  • 5354
    Sure, but every year it changes in the same direction. Where is the imagination, where is the the year when I grow suddenly 2 years younger? It Is Ageism, pure Ageism. I get persequted with Ageism.
      November 15, 2018 7:23 AM MST
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