Don’t you hate it when people you don’t know call you dear or darling, talk down to you, assume you are stupid or ignore you just because you are old? That’s ageism.
The World Health Organisation says ageism is present in the way we think, feel and act towards others and ourselves according to age, whether we are conscious of it or not. It is everywhere, in our institutions, relationships and ourselves.
Ageism assumes all older people fit a negative stereotype of being old, incompetent, ignorant, invisible, cognitively and memory deficient and challenged by technology. It harms us individually and collectively, affecting our health and well-being and costing society billions of dollars.
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology Associate Professor Foula Kopanidis says many older people express frustration, irritation and even anger when they experience ageist attitudes and behaviour.
They also feel vulnerability and lack confidence in being able to make an informed decision.
She said age-based stereotypes undermine the value and recognition of older people and are associated with lower well-being and less engagement in products. services and life activities.
“It effects how they see themselves. The aged stereotype impacts particularly on the self-image of older women.”
Studies by Dr Kopanidis and colleagues using structured interviews of older people in a focus group, found older people were treated differently to younger ones and were not given the same opportunities of making their own choices.
“Older people are invisible or labelled – put in a box – for example Grey Nomads,” she said.
One group participant, Helen (69) said: “Someone in a shop where I was asking about something, said, ‘Now, ask your children to go on the internet and look it up.’ And I was standing there thinking, ‘Lady, I’ve got a science degree with majors in pure and applied maths and you are telling me that I can’t use a lousy computer?”
Such stereotypes are not limited to older people. Dr Kopanadis recalled how when she was on crutches following a knee operation older people offered to help her while younger people ignored her.
“I appeared invisible to them. That’s how older people are treated.”
All but one of the focus group described themselves as feeling ten years younger than their chronological age.
“People assume their biological age is less than their chronological age. They feel younger, that they can do more things, be active,” she said.
Ageism negates this younger feeling.
“Don’t force me to be old,” said one focus group member.
“Feeling younger has both positive and negative effects. It creates inertia; they may decide to delay retirement or downsizing, exploring more options on retirement, they have resources, and are often cash rich,” said Dr Kopanidis.
“They want to try new things, to travel; they can do technology and are avid users of social media, contrary to the assumptions of marketers.”
Ageism has consequences for people selling goods and services to the older demographic. They miss sales and the older person misses opportunities.
“Marketing to the cohort of older people is different now to just 15 years ago,” she said.
Why are many younger people ageist?
“Most marketers and media people are in their late 30s. They have little or no interaction with older people and accept the ageist stereotype.”
What should older people do when faced with ageist attitudes?
“Ignoring them is a defence mechanism. If they offer to help say ‘thanks, but I can do it myself’,” Dr Kopanidis said.
Editor’s note – we experience ageism regularly particularly with many marketers not wanting to support this newspaper with advertising.
