Dr. David J. Demko, Gerontologist and Editor AgeVenture News Service 07-24-03
"Nothing changes but the changes." That's the essence of our fast-paced society. Constant changes and
constant updates on those constant changes.
We live in a world which separates generations. The forces behind this trend
are many, but the most powerful is technology. There are wide-ranging differences in the technological toys
used by each generation. Cell phones, palm pilots, CDs, DVDs, MP3, digital cameras,
vcr programming, e-mail, Internet surfing. Constant changes with constant updates. Grandkids
love this technology. But it also explains why grandma's VCR clock is still blinking "12:00"
"12:00" "12:00" ... months after she's bought it.
Language is another separating force. The creation of new slang ("da bomb", "kick'n",
"it's ghetto", "hook me up") leave many grandparents requesting a translation book because
these elders grew up on words like "spiffy", "the cat's meow", "everything's jake", "boss"
"clean", "outta sight", "groovy", "far out". Sure, grandkids and grandparents share a fondness for each
other but have little common ground for strenghening those bonds. Today's young and old
generations are evolving into virtual strangers with little more in common than an inherited gene pool.
There's an old saying that helps bridge this generation gap. "He who breaks bread with me is my friend."
Young and old both get hungry, and when you take the grandkids to a restaurant, you have a captive audience
for catching up and sharing life's experiences. Grandparents at least have the kids' attention for the length
of a meal, even longer if they order dessert, and still longer if there is a "conversation piece" like a Happy
Meal "action figure" gift. You know what an action figure is, right? It's what used to be
called a "doll", but boys don't play with, egad, "DOLLS". So hence the name "Action Figure".
McDonald's and Dimension Films are taking Happy Meals to a whole new dimension starting July 25,
2003, as characters from the highly anticipated, 3-D action-packed Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over movie
jump from the pages of six one-of-a-kind 3-D comic books at participating McDonald's. Complete
with action figures, ultra-hip 3-D glasses and 3-D comic books, this exciting new Happy Meal event
brings back the magic of 3-D and the page turning adventures of Spy Kids3-D: Game Over, debuting
in theaters everywhere July 25, 2003.
Offering non-stop, page-turning adventures featuring the popular characters Juni and
Carmen, six different premiums include:
a 12-page 3-D Spy Kids comic book.
a pair of 3-D glasses and an action figure.
figurines feature either Juni or Carmen inside a robot machine.
figurines wear a virtual reality suit or ride a virtual cycle.
the 3-D comic books tell stories from the Spy Kids 3-D movie script,
each action figure has a hidden code to solve games in the 3-D Comic.
Wow, this new McDonald's promo sounds "nifty", or "da bomb", or as my generation's
TV sit-com favorite ("Leave It To Beaver") might say, "Gosh, it's sounds really swell, Wally."
Unfortunately, my aging digestive system's retort would be more like another old favorite,
"The Lone Ranger". In my case, a burger and fries, "Sounds like trouble, Tonto." But, go for
it anyway. Afterall, it's not just about food and "action figure" prizes. It's about spending
quality time with those little ones you want to bond with.
Dr. Demko reports on lifestyle issues and trends in Aging America. Submit comments to:
demko@demko.com
This column may be used, free-of-charge, by print and broadcast media with the following attribution: "David Demko, AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com"
"Nothing changes but the changes." That's the essence of our fast-paced society. Constant changes and
constant updates on those constant changes.