Does 30 = a cultural wasteland? October 12, 2011

As the big 3-0 looms on the horizon like a wrinkly ogre of doom my friends and I have begun discussing the fact that we feel like we’ve grown out of a lot of things we used to love. For instance I lamented to one friend that perhaps one day I would have to say goodbye to my baggy jeans. Another friend and I discussed the fact that we have no idea what magazines to read anymore. Both regular purchasers of Company magazine for years all of a sudden the ‘real life success stories’ about 24 year olds who own their own businesses have ceased being ‘inspiring’ and instead become purely irritating (I’m sorry, how many people in their 20s earn over £60k a year, really???!).

So we’ve outgrown some of these things. I can accept that. Once upon a time I also grew out of Just 17 and Global Hypercolour t-shirts. The problem is, what the hell do we replace them with?

When it comes to the magazine conundrum, you’d think there’d be plenty to choose from. We’ve considered them all but they’re all either too young (Company/Cosmo), too fashion focused (Glamour etc) or too old (Good Housekeeping). We’ve considered the likes of Red but even that seems to be aimed at those with kids and certainly towards the back end of their thirties.

That’s the problem it seems. Thirties are the new twenties or so the saying goes. These days at 30 we don’t all have kids, have a husband and own a house. Many of us don’t even have careers we are hugely successful in; some of us are still trying to work out who the hell we are and exactly what we want from life.

So we’ve moved on but it seems perhaps the media hasn’t followed us. It looks to me like I’m entering some kind of odd cultural wasteland, where I don’t feel there’s anywhere I really ‘fit’.

As well as magazines, I struggle with my radio station choice. I have a two hour daily commute and use the radio to keep me sane. I listen to Radio 1, mainly for the chat and amusing DJs, but there is something distinctly sad about listening to One Direction and promos every ten minutes for The Teen Awards – ie. their core target audience – and realising that your own teenage years are ten years behind you!! And yet I can’t bring myself to switch to Radio 2 – I’m not ready for Cliff Richard just yet.

I can’t help but think there’s a serious gap in many different markets and were I a media mogul I’d be getting in there quick-smart. We’re not asking for much – fun with an edge of intelligence and something to inspire us. I’d love to hear from you if you agree.

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