They watch MTV, surf the Web, have iPods, play videogames and eat at fast food restaurants.
And, no, they're not your average US teenager, but people over the age of 100 who shared the secrets of their longevity for a study released on Tuesday by Evercare, a health provider for the elderly in the US.
"To stay in tune has health benefits," said Sherri Snelling, director of Evercare, which questioned 100 centenarians for the survey. "These centenarians do know about current trends.
"Whether or not they are utilizing them, they understand what is current in our society," Snelling said.
Apart from staying on top of the latest trends, those questioned said healthy lifestyles and religious faith kept them young. They also emphasized that maintaining the brain was also very important in keeping them going.
Snelling said the telephone survey conducted in February provided an insight into the lives of a small but growing segment of the population.
"It gives us a snapshot and useful anecdotal information that will help us understand what it is that keeps Americans healthy, happy and independent in getting older," she said.
Of the 70 women and 30 men surveyed, 70 percent still live at home and, like the rest of their fellow US citizens, said they follow the newest fads like reality TV, videogames and iPods, all the while keeping up with current events.
Sixty eight percent said they rely on TV as their primary source of news while 40 percent said they still read newspapers. Only 10 percent use the radio for information.
US Census Bureau data showed that there are 80,000 centenarians in the US, but that number is projected to increase seven-fold to 580,000 by 2040 as the post-1945 baby boomer generation ages.
Of the centenarians surveyed, 72 percent have eaten at fast food restaurants, 31 percent have watched reality TV shows and 27 percent have watched MTV or music videos.
One out of four have bought CDs while 15 percent have played videogames; 6 percent have surfed the Internet and 4 percent have listened to music on iPods. Eleven percent said they have tried coffee at Starbucks.
Health-wise, 23 percent said they have smoked cigarettes and on average, those who quit did so 41 years ago.
More than three quarters said that their dietary habits have improved or stayed the same compared to 50 years ago.
On the political front, 34 percent believed Franklin Roosevelt was the best US president, followed by 15 percent who felt that way about Ronald Reagan and 9 percent John F. Kennedy.
Former president Bill Clinton, at 5 percent, fared slightly better than US President George W. Bush, who received 3 percent.
As far as music, jazz, gospel and classical music were top picks by those queried, although pop stars like Michael Jackson and the Dixie Chicks were also mentioned.
For 28 percent, the most beautiful day of their life was their wedding day, while the birth of a child or their 100th birthday tied for second place.
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