Two out of three people of the silver generation (between 55 and 75 years old) maintain that their self-esteem has improved with age. 91% say they feel good or very good about themselves, and half of women over 55 confess to feeling more valuable than before, after overcoming roles and social pressures. Thus, this stage is experienced from personal recognition and internal validation, especially in the female population. In addition, 74% say they continue learning and want to continue contributing. Precisely, men link self-esteem to remaining useful and active, through volunteering, consulting, or family care.
These are some of the main conclusions of the I Study of the BELSILVER Nebrija - L'Oréal Groupe Chair in Communication, Image and Well-being of the Silver Generation, which analyzes how people perceive their well-being at this stage of life, how they value fundamental aspects of themselves (health, well-being, attitude...) and what their opinion is about their visibility in the media space and their role in a society of which they continue to consider themselves an active part. The research develops the concept "Infinite Generation: A life without limits (Well-being - Self-esteem - Visibility)", has been presented today at the Faculty of Communication and Arts of the Nebrija University, and confirms that self-esteem not only remains, but tends to strengthen with age. This improvement is related to self-knowledge, emotional autonomy and overcoming traditional roles. 94% understand well-being as an integral concept that encompasses the physical, mental and emotional aspects.
The study reveals that growing older does not mean retirement or loss of prominence, but rather a full, conscious, and opportunity-filled stage of life. The pillars of well-being that members of this generation mostly express are physical health and autonomy, mental and emotional health, solid relationships, financial security, and the ability to have time for personal projects. Self-care is experienced as something essential and positive, but emotional and practical barriers persist.
This contrast is key to understanding how to interact positively with this generation: by motivating them emotionally and evolving in the transmission of conventional concepts of well-being and beauty, which must evolve towards a new style of communication that values attributes favorable to reinforcing that growing self-esteem, in which personal care ceases to be a permanent struggle against the passage of time, to become a personalized and effective aid to fully experience a stage full of rewarding stimuli.
From Self-Care to Invisibility
The silver generation experiences physical, mental, and emotional care as a conscious choice and not as an aesthetic imposition, but as part of their integral well-being. 76% declare that they enjoy their self-care habits, and more than 70% link well-being with personal time, exercise, and emotional health. Thus, living fully means freedom, health, and affective relationships, not the absence of wrinkles.
On the other hand, despite their level of autonomy and life satisfaction, the silver generation perceives a clear lack of social recognition. Only 23% feel that society treats their generation with respect and admiration. The majority detect indifference or, worse, condescension, something that makes no sense for this 'infinite' generation, which defies labels and obsolete canons, to face life from a position of very significant social and economic influence, far from traditional clichés.
According to those consulted, ageism is still very present in today's society, and it translates into a generalized invisibility that, when attempts are made to avoid it, whether in the media, in advertising, or even in institutional treatment, degenerates into a grotesque image far removed from reality: they hate labels, no matter which direction they go, because they always carry implicit pejorative connotations, whether they are derogatory, infantilizing, or cloyingly saccharine.
“Infinite Generation”
Women aged 55 to 75 are responsible for half of all female consumption of beauty products in Spain. Counting both sexes, the silver generation accounts for 28% of the population and has the highest purchasing power. It represents 60% of private consumption and 25% of GDP.
“What we have called the ‘Infinite Generation’ breaks stereotypes, because what we used to call old age is now called a full life. We have never had a generation with such longevity, health, and energy, and with an unprecedented capacity to continue contributing value. The social and brand narrative must rise to their level,” says Marta Perlado, director of the BELSILVER Nebrija - L'Oréal Groupe Chair in Communication, Image and Well-being of the Silver Generation and dean of the Faculty of Communication and Arts of the Nebrija University.
“The Silver Generation is a fundamental pillar of our society, a source of talent and a driver of consumption for our country, and deserves recognition that reflects this: more visibility, respect, and opportunities to continue contributing. As a leader in the beauty industry, at L'Oréal we reaffirm our commitment to promoting inclusive beauty at any age, supporting this generation with innovation, responsible representation, and alliances such as the BELSILVER Nebrija – L'Oréal Groupe professorship,” says Juan Alonso de Lomas, President of L'Oréal Spain and Portugal.
For his part, Agustín Medina, founding partner of Presidentex, points out that "no other generation has had so much experience, perspective, and time, breaking the traditional limits of age. This generation not only brings longevity, but also a different perspective on life, with the ability to influence and transform society."
The 1st Study by the BELSILVER Nebrija–L’Oréal Groupe Chair in Communication, Image, and Well-being used a 360º approach that combines three complementary methodologies: quantitative, with an online survey of 1,000 people representative of the silver generation in Spain; qualitative, using the "World Café" method, an innovative dynamic that turns debate into an open and horizontal space, where participants dialogue in a collaborative environment; and Artificial Intelligence, applied to the analysis of the texts of the open-ended responses of the survey. Through natural language processing, dominant emotions, reasoning patterns, and communication styles were identified. It was not applied to social networks or media, but directly to the words of the participants themselves, which guarantees a faithful approach focused on the real experience.
Overall, this methodology provides a differential approach: it combines the robustness of data with the richness of conversations and advanced emotion analysis, offering a complete, rigorous, and pioneering vision of how silvers live and narrate their life stage.
Presidentex, TolunaID, Inma Aragón, The ROOM Research & Solutions, and Symanto Psychology AI, as well as the research team assigned to the chair of the Faculty of Communication and Arts of the Nebrija University, participated in the study.