- Hermela Shimelis
THE UNKNOWN IMPACT OF AGEISM
The term "ageism" was invented by a psychiatrist named Robert N. Butler, M.D., in 1969. Therefore, its a relatively new idea, but its being practiced way to much. Hopefully from today's post you can understand what it means and the impacts it has. Then from there, we can all work towards putting a stop to it!
Definition
The simple definition of ageism is discrimination based on someone's age. Like racism, sexism, or colorism, it promotes negative & false stereotypes about someone just because of how old they are. The Guardian even says that its a prejudice that targets our future selves, but its also a threat to our childhood years, meaning it goes two ways. Ageism affects our aging population and youth population, so in the next section we will look at the statistics and understand the impacts of this bias.
The two sides of ageism & their impacts
Lets begin with ageism on our aging population. You probably think of them as those who occupy the aged-care facilities. At the moment, we are living in a world that prefers the young & bright over those with graying hairs that have lived on this Earth longer. As a result, there is often hate directed towards the aging members of our community because people think that they can’t do what a fresh person in their 20’s can. If you don’t believe me, a statistic from the article Ageism In The Workplace states that “People aged 25 and younger are 2x less likely to experience age discrimination," while “58% of workers notice age bias when people enter their 50's” & “7% of people report losing their job due to age discrimination.” It’s not only this way though, because “people would actually prefer a boss who is 30 than a boss who is 70+.” This shows that even if ageist actions and remarks happen unconsciously, they are pretty common once you pass a certain age threshold. But the thing is, it shouldn't be common. Why can't senior individuals do the same things that younger adults can? I understand that some may have medical conditions that restrict their ability to do things, but as a whole this group shouldn't be regarded as incapable people.
Now the second side of ageism that many people don’t know about is the side that impacts our youth generation. Kids are young and said to be unaware of the things that adults may know, but this can ultimately be wrong. This problem is the fact that adults are disregarding kids just because they believe that they don’t know anything as a cause of their age. Just like with the issue against seniors, this is the wrong idea! Kids hear the phrases “you won’t understand,” "what do you know, you're just a kid!" and "act your age" very frequently. But how exactly should their age act, and how can you judge what they know and not know from the majority of their age group? Additionally, its horrible that the youth are literally being described as foolish little kids. These words really affect them. It's degrading & makes them feel like they are unable to do anything. It diminishes their confidence and they feel unintelligent as a result of it. So please, stop.
The bottom line is that ageism is a huge issue in society. As a form of discrimination based on age, we face it all our life. Everyone starts off young, enduring the demoralizing impact that comes with facing ageism as a kid, and continues aging until they reach the point where they are discriminate against again because they are seemingly "too old" to do things. Ageism is important to prevent, or else it's going to haunt us all our lives and for the generations to come.
How to put a stop to ageism
The first step to putting a stop to ageism is understanding how serious it is. Although many people are unaware of it, it is an issue that needs to be changed very soon. Ageism should be treated like most major forms of discrimination, including sex and disability-based ones. From there, raising awareness in the media and to the general public about the impacts of ageism can help a lot. Another effective method is the role model strategy. Promote the right treatment of others despite their age! We have to combat the effects it has on youth and elders alike.
Sources/ Links to check out:
https://changingaging.org/culture-change/ageism-not-just-for-grown-ups/
https://aging.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/Ageism_in_America.pdf
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