Ageism

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slant

Capitalist pig
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So, recently, I've decided that ageism is an important concept to discuss. I'd never actually encountered ageism before (we're living in a society where the media idealizes the youth and for the most part ignores the elderly) but I have for the first time experienced the effects of ageism!

Sure, there have been mild occurrences where I had a streak of ageism pass through my lenses; someone thinking that because I was young I couldn't do something, or that I had a driving permit because I was sixteen, these are all ageism because they are assumptions based on age however they weren't exactly insulting.

There are two degrees, actually, variations of ageism, in my point of view:

discrimination against children
discrimination against teenagers
discrimination against young adults
discrimination against adults- middle aged adults
discrimination against the elderly

We all know that ageism causes older people to be less likely to be hired to that corperate job because of how quickly they might be able to retire and the wadges they can get away with paying the youthful versus the middle-aged.

But what expereinces have you had with ageism, what are your thoughts about it, who do you think are effected the most? Do you think that ageism against perhaps young adults, teenagers and children are more common but it isn't socially acceptable to discuss because the issues aren't taken 'seriously'?

Also...I can't resist asking this....who out here are of that certain percentage who are creeped out by old people. THAT is ageism! Or it could just be a phobia developed from ageism...
 
Well I believe all of us who have heard people saying that all teenagers are immature, foolish and frivolous while we were in our teenage years would have been a victim of ageism. I think that collectively and generally speaking the senior members of our society are the worse victims. Indeed it is more difficult for them to acquire employment in certain cases for the reasons you mention. There is also that horrible stereotype that our society's older citizens are slow, unable to take care of themselves, have short tempers, are irritable, and are retrogressive; that stereotype is to me a form of discrimination.

On another note the phobia of the older members of our society, and the apparent general fixation of youth in the media may not only be an aspect of ageism but also perhaps a fear of death. Sometimes one people's birthday it is said they have inched one step closer to their final curtain call. The " aged" may symbolically represent death to some people and throughout human history - as can be seen in may fictitious works as well- death is something looked at with fear and disgust. As a result the " aged" may be seen with fear and disgust or may even have a tendency to "creep out some" due to the general "thanatophobia" that is prevalent in many cultures
 
My take...

First of all, I want to say that the young people's posts I've read here seem quite intelligent and enlightened, even precocious. Some not so much. People are a mixed bag regardless of their age. I'll be 57 in a week, and have thought a lot about this subject. I like to keep things on an intellectual level, and age isn't really important there. Emotions are entirely different, as emotional maturity takes time and experience. We are taught to differentiate from a very early age between one thing and another, and that method helps us develop our likes and dislikes. On the other hand, it also helps us develop prejudice, both good and bad. We all have choices to make. Some choose carefully, some not so carefully. We tend to rate others on very superficial things such as age because of our natural misperceptions. When people don't have the desire to truly educate themselves on more than just an intellectual level, their weaknesses are often found in the subjective, which is where most kinds of prejudice comes from. Like people tend to gravitate toward each other, and that produces schisms that reinforce prejudice, of whatever kind. Face it, not everyone is as open-minded as we are here. Congratulations to all of your for your openness and curiosity. Rick
 
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