Stop Ageism
I’ve just realized that I’ve been doing something…to myself. I’ve been practicing self-inflicted ageism.
I often use terms like –
I’m having a senior moment.
I’m a dinosaur.
Many of you probably don’t remember this movie, show, or song.
I’m old-fashioned (or I might be drinking an old fashioned 😉
You can teach an old dog new tricks.
A memory is a terrible thing to waste.
Etc.
in my everyday self-language. What’s come to my attention lately is that—
Ageism, age discrimination, and age bias are a thing.
Stereotyping experienced and older humans is a thing.
Client and workplace shelf-life discussions are a thing.
Amongst many other things. The World Health Organization defines ageism as—
Ageism refers to the stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) towards others or oneself based on age.
So, it’s not just an “older problem.” Ageism often affects individuals in all directions of the age spectrum. It’s also rarely recognized and hugely harmful, particularly for older folks.
This is a 2-part call to action.
The first part is personal. I need to become much more sensitive and aware of the ageist language I’m using and to reduce/eliminate it as much as possible. This includes my self-talk and my external language.
The second part is for colleagues in my network. Please become more aware of your views, language, and behavior toward older members of your personal and professional ecosystems. Consider reframing your ideas about them, their value, their capability, and their ongoing potential.
Wrapping Up
To use a generational label, Baby Boomers are a viable and valuable member of our working and societal systems. So, don’t stereotype or marginalize us.
Instead, embrace us, listen to us, team with us, learn from us, and replace Baby Boomers with every other age-related or generationally-related label and do the same things.
Let’s all work to reduce and eliminate ageism. And one final point—we are all aging!
Stay agile, my friends,
Bob.
For those of you who are interested in doing a little research on the topic—
Janine Vanderburg is a relentless champion in this space. I’d recommend following her on LinkedIn and following her Changing the Narrative organization.
WHO Report – https://www.who.int/teams/social-determinants-of-health/demographic-change-and-healthy-ageing/combatting-ageism
AARP article - https://www.aarp.org/work/age-discrimination/still-thrives-in-america/
Book: Elderhood
Book: Roar
Glad to see ageism getting greater awareness - it’s an unconscious bias most of us grew up with, and starting with addressing it in ourselves is important!
Some other folks leading in this space along with Janine V: Sheila Callaham (Age Equity Alliance), Stella Fosse, Ashton Applewhite, Eleanor Mills, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox
Lovely observation, Bob, with the self-talk. I know I hear it and have a chuckle because of the light-hearted comment, but you are correct. It does not help, does it?
Your article also makes me wonder. Can we pull out a bit and look at the bigger picture? Is Agism not just a symptom of people not looking at each other as individuals and treating them with respect? If we are organizing around each symptom, we are a fractured group, all with the same end goal, and pursuing it from different angles. Is that more beneficial or less beneficial than a larger group aiming for the big goal, with the end result of easing all the symptoms?