Ageism

What is it?

 Ageism refers to stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) toward others or oneself based on age. (World Health Organization)

How it Shows Up

Ageism shows up in many ways, including:

Internalized ageism: Negative perceptions we hold about ourselves as we age. 

Implicit ageism: Unconscious bias that encompasses attitudes, emotions, and actions towards individuals of different age groups, occurring without conscious awareness or intent.

Interpersonal ageism: Ageist remarks and actions that occur during interactions between individuals. These behaviors can be implicit and unconscious or conscious. While they may be negative, they can also stem from positive intentions but still rely on stereotypes.

Some examples of interpersonal ageism:

  1. Patronizing Language: Using terms like "sweetie" or "dear" when addressing older adults, which can be perceived as condescending
  2. Ignoring Opinions: Dismissing or overlooking the opinions and contributions of older individuals in conversations or decision-making processes
  3. Ageist Jokes: Making jokes that stereotype older people as forgetful or out of touch, even if intended to be funny.
  4. Assumptions About Abilities: Assuming older adults are incapable of certain tasks or activities without considering their actual abilities.
  5. Overhelping: Offering unnecessary assistance to older adults, assuming they need help with basic tasks

Cultural ageism:  Pervasive, often unnoticed, and deeply rooted negative messages about aging and older adults that are embedded in movies, television, music, and jokes.

Institutional ageism: Unfair age-based restrictions in laws, policies, and practices of public and private institutions.

Ageism harms our economy:
o AARP estimated $850 billion in lost gains to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a result of involuntary retirement, underemployment, and unemployment among older workers.
o Levy and colleagues (2020) estimated that ageism caused $63 billion in healthcare costs in just one year.

Ageism is everywhere: from our institutions and relationships to ourselves. For example, ageism is in policies that support healthcare rationing by age, practices that limit younger people’s opportunities to contribute to decision-making in the workplace, patronizing behavior used in interactions with older and younger people, and in self-limiting behavior, which can stem from internalized stereotypes about what a person of a given age can be or do.

How to Face Ageism Head On

Three strategies work in reducing or eliminating ageism: policy and law, educational activities and intergenerational interventions.

  • Policy and law can address discrimination and inequality on the basis of age and protect the human rights of everyone, everywhere.
  • Educational activities can enhance empathy, dispel misconceptions about different age groups and reduce prejudice by providing accurate information and counter-stereotypical examples.
  • Intergenerational interventions, which bring together people of different generations, can help reduce intergroup prejudice and stereotypes.

(Sources: American Society on Aging, World Health Organization, AARP, Levy et al)

Issues & Topics