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Ageism From page 1
Of course, it's all meant in good fun. Journeying through life with a sense of humor is often how we cope with challenging times and experiences. We even tend to take a lighthearted approach to getting older, perhaps as a distraction from those uncertainties that come with aging. That would explain the department store birthday decor for the 50-andolder set, which tends to include everything from black balloons and "over the hill" party favors to walking canes and fiber pills. We kid about dining during the "early bird special" and going to bed at a time that's far earlier than when we used to go out. The stereotypes and clichés have been around for years, and while they're meant to be in jest, they can result in potentially harmful attitudes and behaviors on which we rarely dwell. Jokes and observations about getting older can lead to the misperception that all older adults are frail and have diminishing mental skills. According to an article in The Conversation, research shows that ageist attitudes can harm the health of older adults. The article cites the World Health Organization, which acknowledges ageism as "the last socially accepted form of prejudice." A Washington Post article refers to "everyday ageism," where we tend— through our actions and words—to reinforce the idea that "old is bad (and young is good)." Need help with your cell phone or laptop? Call a teenager, because surely an older adult won't know how technology works! We retain those negative messages about being older to the point they become reality.
Summer 2021 Musician Ben Folds explores the topic of ageism in his song "Fred Jones, Part 2," where a 25-year newspaper employee "sits alone at his desk in the dark," his belongings packed into boxes because "a man's here to take him downstairs." We don't know much more of Fred's story, but the song provides a broader look at the cycle of aging in the workplace: "Today's just a day like the day that he started/ No one is left here that knows his first name/ And life barrels on like a runaway train/When the passengers change/They don't change anything/ You get off; someone else can get on/...and I'm sorry, Mr. Jones/ It's time." Whether or not you remain qualified and of value to the company, you're shown the door once you hit a certain age.
When is old?
But what age is considered old? Bob Horrocks, who served as SourcePoint's executive director until his retirement in 2019, said he has a rule for determining that. "I was once asked by a Delaware County Commissioner during a presentation, 'How old is old?' I quickly responded that old is at least 15 years older than your current age," Horrocks said. "This was not an original thought. I had heard it while studying gerontology in graduate school, and even back then it rang true. When I was
in my late 40s, 65 seemed pretty old to me. Now, at 69, not so much. Now old is maybe 85. Even then, I have known some pretty old 50-year-olds and some pretty young 85-year-olds." The point, Horrocks said, is that ageism happens "when we allow all the negative stereotypes about growing older to affect how we think about and act toward people who are older. "My experience is that it happens in subtle ways and usually out of a sense of caring, but without thinking about how this impacts the recipient," said Horrocks, who added that his personal ageism pet peeve is when he's called "sweetie" or "honey." "I was called sweetie often when I was under the age of 8, but at some point it stopped until I was in my mid 60s. It is always said in a friendly way and I know that it not said to offend. But, it does somewhat offend me."
A global and local issue
The pandemic shined a light on ageism around the world. COVID-related deaths of older adults were often associated with other "underlying health conditions" implying that all people of a certain age are unhealthy, and ageism put forth the message that younger people didn't have to worry about getting COVID. The article in The Conversation cites an interview with Ukraine's ex-health minister, who said people over age 65 were
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