Heres why baby boomers enjoy learning new skills

The majority of baby boomers love to learn new things, but they think they’re too old to actually do so, according to new research.The survey of 2,000 Americans, split evenly by generation, revealed that although 74% of boomers said they “love” learning new things, and six in 10 find that learning something new is more rewarding now than when they were younger, they still think they are too old to actually learn new skills. The sentiment of being “too old to learn” was reinforced across generations, with respondents pinpointing 26 years old as the best age to learn something new.In contrast, the survey found that 43% of respondents — across generations — believe they’re more successful in learning new things at their current age, versus when they were younger.This is due to things like being more patient (42%), learning because they want to and not because they need to (30%) and having more time (29%).Commissioned by Duolingo and conducted by Talker Research, the survey revealed that Americans want to learn new things, but they’re holding themselves back.“Learning doesn’t stop as we age,” said Bozena Pajak, VP of Learning & Curriculum at Duolingo.“While younger learners may have a speed advantage, adults benefit from rich life experience, greater knowledge and strong problem-solving abilities.

Studies also show that learning new skills, like a language, can help delay cognitive decline and boost memory.We see learners of all ages thrive — reinforcing that it’s never too late to keep growing.”One skill that respondents are interested in learning is a new language — 26% of Americans surveyed, regardless of age, are currently working to pick up a new language.For these respondents, they cited supporting their cognitive health (27%) — keeping their brain sharp as they age — as one of the top motivators for learning a new language.

Other top motivators include cultural interest (31%), travel (27%) and communicating more...