Ageism

Ageism is a systemic form of oppression, but unlike other causes of inequity, such as racism, sexism, or ableism, anyone can experience it. Although it is universal, people do not always take ageism as seriously as other forms of inequity.

                     

There are many ways to categorize ageism. Terms that describe where ageism takes place include:

• Institutional ageism, which occurs when an institution perpetuates ageism through its actions and policies

• Interpersonal ageism, which occurs in social interactions

• Internalized ageism, which is when a person internalizes ageist beliefs and applies them to themselves

Data from the 2020 National Poll on Healthy Aging found that 82% of older Americans reported experiencing ageism regularly. The survey found that:

• 65% experienced ageist messages from the media

• 45% experienced interpersonal ageism

• 36% had internalized ageism

Age Discrimination Examples Against Older Workers

According to the AARP, here are seven real-life age discrimination examples against older workers.

• Comments Meant to Insinuate Old Age

When an employer makes comments to its younger workers of certain comments such as “energetic” and “new blood,” it can be an indication of a discriminatory mindset by the employer.

•   Treat Differently.

When an employer only allows younger workers to get training, promotions, and more challenging job projects, it could be a sign of ageism.

• Insults

Insulting words regarding age are enough to create a hostile work environment.

• Assumptions about Age

Comments that older workers don’t understand the technology and social media or can’t work as hard can indicate a discriminatory attitude.

• Social Group Segregation

If the employer only spends time with the younger workers, that could be a sign of discrimination.

• Layoffs

If a company only lays off older workers, and then have younger workers be assigned their job duties under a different job title, the could be a sign of discrimination.

• Pretexts

If a company penalizes an older employee for poor performance even though that employee’s ratings have been great, it could be a sign of discrimination.

Please keep in mind that there may be other examples of discrimination not mentioned above. 

Ageism Against Youth

Age discrimination is not exclusive to just older workers. Younger workers are also discriminated against and the AEDA is also designed to protect younger workers as well. Here are some real-life examples of ageism against youth.

• Treating a young worker differently from an older worker

• Using inappropriate language to characterize a young worker

• Refusing to pay a young worker the minimum wage

• Forcing a job requirement that may be too difficult for younger workers to meet or terminating a younger worker based on their age.

Impact of Ageism

Ageism does not only affect individuals — it has far-reaching consequences. These include:

• Higher rates of illness: Ageism reduces people’s physical and mental health, increasing their care needs and reducing quality of life as they get older. It is also associated with risk-taking behaviors, such as smoking, drinking, and an unhealthy diet.

• Higher healthcare spending: According to the WHO, the United States spends billions of dollarsTrusted Source per year treating health conditions due to ageism.

• Poverty: Higher healthcare costs, as well as a lack of health insurance, exacerbates poverty. This can be especially difficult for people who are retired, who have lost their partner or spouse, or who cannot work due to disability or illness. Poverty also worsens health, creating a vicious cycle.

• Lower life expectancy: Ageism is associated with earlier death, causing a decrease of 7.5 years on average.

Acting on Ageism

Ageism won’t go away by itself. Here are five ways to combat it:

1. Recognize it. To create awareness requires understanding that there is a problem. In other words, you can’t change something you don’t know needs changing, including yourself.

2. Speak up! If you hear something ageist, consider pointing it out. Rather than make someone defensive, you can calmly tell them you know they didn’t realize what they were saying.

3. Ask yourself, “Would I like it?” Treat older people with the respect you will want. Think about whether you are being patronizing or talking to them like children (called “elderspeak“). And don’t be that fully clothed health aide who gives a nursing home resident the “we” treatment, as in, “We are going to get dressed now.”

4. Be inclusive. Promote intergenerational experiences. Yarmouth, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, has a unique intergenerational model UN program that pairs an elder with a high school student to learn about a pressing global issue, such as water conservation.

5. Give yourself a break. If you’re thinking that some behavior you thought was respectful is really ageist, now you’re enlightened. And you can make the choice to behave differently in the future.