Time Goes By: The Only Website About What It's Really Like To Get Older

Most older people are happy, employed and active, but you wouldnt know that from the popular media which routinely portrays them as feeble, decrepit and foolish. Now, Time Goes By, the first and only Website to examine what its really like to get older, takes on the common stereotype and is creating a popular and vibrantly interactive dialogue among a global audience that includes baby boomers, seniors and interestingly, some younger folks too.

New York, NY (PRWEB) August 29, 2004 -- Most older people are happy, employed and active, but you wouldnt know that from the popular media which routinely portrays them as feeble, decrepit and foolish. Now, Time Goes By, the first and only Website to examine what its really like to get older, takes on the common stereotype and is creating a popular and vibrantly interactive dialogue among a global audience that includes baby boomers, seniors and interestingly, some younger folks too.

The new blog, which launched just five months ago, has already reached five on a scale of ten on Googles Website importance rankings, a rarity for non-political Weblogs in their first year. It covers, in essays published five days a week, cultural attitudes toward older people, age discrimination in the workplace, coming to terms with ones aging appearance, social life, the politics of aging, sex, health and anything that touches on the blogs tagline, What Its Really Like To Get Older."

The blogs founder, former network television producer and Internet editorial director, Ronni Bennett, who is 63, launched the site because she could not find any good writing on what to expect from life as she gets older. Try typing the word 'aging into Google or even Amazon," she said from her townhouse in New York Citys Greenwich Village. You get 8 million results from government agencies about loss, illness and death. Or worse, snake-oil salesmen who promise youll live to be 150 if you buy their potion."

She rejects the popular attitude toward aging. Getting old cant possibly be as bad as our culture makes it out to be," says Ms. Bennett, who wanted to know what it feels like in real life: How her beliefs and attitudes might change; How to think about her appearance which, she says, isnt so cute anymore; What other people have gained in opportunities for growth, self-knowledge and maybe even wisdom.

Because aging is an ongoing process and not a one-time event, Ms. Bennett realized that the newest form of publishing, a Weblog, or blog, which is a Website in the form of a regularly updated log, would be the perfect medium to explore all aspects of aging as they happen. Blogs allow for -- even require, in the culture of the blog community -- a personal point of view and leave unlimited space for interactive discussion by way of comments from readers. The impact has been gratifying. The comments sections of Time Goes By are rich with other peoples stories, arguments and interaction not only in response to Ms. Bennetts essays, but with one another.

Besides her passionate interest in changing cultural attitudes toward older people, Ms. Bennett is putting her professional skills to work to create this destination Weblog. As the first managing editor of cbsnews.com in 1996, she was a pioneer in the development of online reporting, and she collaborated with a professional Web designer for the look-and-feel of the Weblog. Her previous, 25-year-career as a TV producer for such programs as Biography," 20/20" and The Barbara Walters Specials" honed her informational and entertainment know-how.

The timing of Ms. Bennetts decision to launch Time Goes By could not be better. Currently, people 65 and older make up 13 percent of the U.S. population. By 2020, that will rise to 17 percent including, by then, about half the 78 million baby boomers. But interest in the real-life issues of aging begins long before 65, and the need for the stories and information Ms. Bennett provides at Time Goes By is being proved by the response to her blog.

In one of the most popular essays at Time Goes By, Ms. Bennetts sometime alter ego, Crabby Old Lady, takes on, tongue-in-cheek, the cosmetics industry for trying to foist green glitter eye shadow on the older crowd. Even more popular is the 12-part series in which she eloquently describes her experience as a full-time caregiver during her mothers final, fatal illness. It has inspired readers to contribute their own stories and hopes for their later years creating a fertile and enlightening dialogue. Soon she will introduce a new, feature section of interviews with celebrities and real people" revealing their personal feelings about getting older.

One 50-year-old reader spoke for many when he posted this comment to Ms. Bennetts Weblog: I love that you embrace who you are at this time in your life. Here's someone who makes her aging process an adventure! Wow! What a concept. Thank you for your inspiration to enjoy who I am at this time in my life."

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Richard Fouts

212.593.2291

info@timegoesby.net

http://www.timegoesby.net

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