Ageism Is More Prevalent Than You May Think

By Akila Gibbs

Ageism is alive and not so well everywhere, even in reference materials. If you look up “old” in a Thesaurus, you’ll find words and phrases such as enfeebled, decrepit, over the hill, impaired and senile.

What exactly is ageism? It’s prejudice or discrimination against a particular age group, usually older adults, and it is as unacceptable as any other prejudices such as racism and sexism. Ageism abounds in all areas of life, including media,  employment, personal encounters and even our own negative preconceptions about ourselves as we age.

When we look for employment, we are told we are overqualified. When we go for medical exams, we are told we are doing as well as can be expected considering our age. We have become the target audience of snake oil salesmen who try to sell us anything that smacks of youth serum.

I was shocked to learn that research has linked ageism to decreased quality of life and an average 7.5-year decline in lifespan. This is a statistic that should not exist, and yet it does. Results of a 2022 University of Michigan study of adults 50 to 80 years of age showed that 93.4 percent said they experienced ageism at varying levels.

Open any magazine or watch any TV commercial and you’ll rarely see older adults in advertising unless they are in ads for cruises or medicines. One example is an ad for a food delivery company that reads, “When you want a whole cake to yourself because you’re turning 30, which is basically 50, which is basically dead.” After hundreds of people complained about the ad on social media, the company apologized for what it called “attempted humor.” In truth, it was blatant ageism.

If you want to see ageism on steroids, walk through any greeting card aisle at a pharmacy or grocery store. The tone of birthday cards for children is sweet and upbeat, but for older adults the messaging changes. “Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can’t remember them either”; “At your age, love like you’ve still got a sex drive, smile like you’ve still got real teeth, laugh like you’ve still got a sense of humor.” These kinds of cards turn aging into something to be dreaded.

With Ageism Awareness Day coming up Saturday, Oct. 7, I want to take an opportunity to poke a few holes in a number of prevalent myths associated with older adults:

Myth: Older adults don’t know how to use technology. Fact: According to a national survey conducted by AARP last year, 76 percent of older Americans have embraced technology in their daily lives to connect with family and friends through social media, shop online and stay informed about news and current events through the use of smartphones, personal computers/laptops, smart TVs and more. Locally at the Pasadena Senior Center, technology classes and related activities are more popular than ever before and, by popular demand, many of the classes and activities that were presented by necessity via Zoom during the COVID-19 lockdown continue to be accessed in the comfort of participants’ homes on their PCs, smartphones and tablets.

Myth: Culturally, the number positive older adult characters on TV shows is growing, and this is a good thing. Fact: A recent study showed that only 1.5 percent of characters on TV in the U.S. are older adults, and most of them are minor roles that often are portrayed for comic effect, drawing on stereotypes of crankiness and being physically and/or cognitively ineffective.

Myth: Older adults are less productive and no longer capable of being hired for employment or holding down a job. Fact: Most older adults are perfectly capable of working beyond retirement age. Unfortunately, they also are the most likely to be hindered by ageism from taking advantage of their potential at this point in life.

Myth: Older adults can’t learn new things. Fact: There are four primary reasons more American adults than ever before are going back to college: to pursue a second-chapter career, stay competitive in the workforce, create new challenges for themselves and/or achieve a long-held goal of earning a college degree. Locally at the Pasadena Senior Center, The Masters Series, which embraces lifelong learning, is presented with a different theme four times a year and is more popular than ever. The upcoming theme for the next four-week series, beginning Oct. 17 via Zoom, is “The Giants of Science” and will explore the lives and genius of Marie Curie, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton.

It’s time for us to raise our voices and prove we are relevant and overflowing with wisdom and creativity. We need to change the narrative that stereotypes older adults. Together we can face ageism and dismantle it altogether. Let’s celebrate the blessings of living healthy, active and productive lives.

Akila Gibbs is the executive director of the Pasadena Senior Center.