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The fight against ageism: It's no joke

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Southern Cross Care

The fight against Ageism: Sometimes, it’s more than just a joke

Ageism is a stigma directed toward ageing and the aged.

Ageism consists of negative attitudes, stereotypes and beliefs that result in discrimination and prejudice towards older people. It can manifest in many forms and is not always obvious, such as in the way we use language. While making a joke at older people’s expense may seem harmless at first, the reality is these jokes contribute to negative stereotypes that distort the way we view ageing.

Some common ageist stereotypes include phrases like: 

  • “They don’t like change”
  • “They are deaf”
  • “They are bad drivers”
  • “They have a bad memory”
  • “They are sad”
  • “They don’t know how to use technology”
  • “They don’t care about the way they look”
  • “They can’t learn new things”

Research conducted by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) in 2013 revealed that older Australians feel the media plays a significant role in the portrayal of older people -  where they are typically shown as weak, victims, or in poor health. Social media also tends to present older people in a more negative light. With younger generations more likely to engage with social media, this distortion can affect their view of older generations.

Ageism promotes other forms of discrimination, including the social exclusion of older people from meaningful roles and relationships, and can even lead to elder abuse. The World Health Organization (WHO) in 2017 found that one in six people over the age of 60 experienced some form of elder abuse, which can include emotional, physical, sexual, or financial abuse.

 

What can ageism look like?

Most ageism is subtle and often the person who is being ageist is doing so unconsciously. Specific actions that can be ageist or show age discrimination include:

  • Treating older people as though they are invisible, unintelligent, or expendable based on their age, including talking to a carer or family member instead of directly to the older person
  • Making ageist jokes that insinuate older people are less valuable or less worthy of respect
  • Making offensive generalisations about other generations
  • Disregarding someone’s feelings, concerns, or wishes due to their age
  • Taking advantage of someone’s age for personal gain, such as to make money
  • Using someone’s age as justification to undermine, deceive, or control them
  • Refusing to employ someone because of their age.

 

Mental health concerns

Becca Levy PhD, a leading researcher on the effects of ageism, conducted research on self-perception. This 2002 study revealed that people over the age of 50 years old, who have positive self-perceptions of ageing, lived 7.5 years longer than those with negative self-perceptions of ageing. Furthermore, those exposed to positive stereotypes had better memory and balance. In fact, exposure to negative age stereotypes has been associated with anxiety, depression, lower self-esteem, higher blood pressure, and even poorer performance on cognitive assessments.

 

Steps forward

To combat ageism, we must challenge the narrative that older people are frail, dependent, and vulnerable. Older people can often accomplish just as much as their younger counterparts, so by challenging these negative stereotypes and promoting positive ageing, we can foster a society that not only appreciates, but truly values its older generations.

 

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