Ageism

Imagine we are in a magical carriage soaring through time and space. You are the passenger/tourist, and I am the driver/tour guide.

Our journey is to explore the vast landscape of ageism and to answer the following questions:

· What is ageism

· How far does it reach

· Why do I care

· Why you should care

· Why ageism does not exist in a vacuum

Point of interest 1

What is ageism? Almost forty years ago a man named Robert Butler, MD, coined the word "ageism". He defined the term as discrimination against the elderly. He believed there was a deep and pervasive prejudice against older people. This prejudice was far-reaching and permeated the fabric of our culture as manifested in our personal behavior and in the institutions of our society. What was evident in the 1980's is still with us today and maybe more acute as socio-economic trends are changing globally.

The World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations (UN) believes ageism is growing in intensity as global populations are growing older and the negative economic realities are becoming more significant. (WHO has an online report on ageism free to read or download)

Point of interest 2

How far reaching is Ageism? I don't know about you, but I was not familiar with the term ageism while I was nose to the grindstone (still working at my 25+ years job). It was, to be honest, a dawning realization moving into shock that ageism seems to be everywhere. (am I being too sensitive?)

Here are some examples of ageism which certainly affect all people of a certain age. See if any of these situations ring a bell. Have you or someone you know and care about faced discrimination by word or actions?

· Demeaning words or phrases such as blue haired, over the hill, too old for the task, needs to be put out to pasture.

· Media portrayal

· Job hiring

· Workplace attitudes

· Age bias in health care

· Age bias in housing

For a very quick view of the situation globally, I looked at Japan, Vietnam, India and Arabia—countries with the reputation of care and respect of older family members. In all these countries to some degree, the older generations are facing isolation, loneliness and economic hardship as younger generations must work elsewhere. And the older nonworking populations are growing. The WHO report stated that in Japan 28% of the population is 65 or older.

Point of interest 3

The Universal Reality: Ageism Affects Everyone. Here's something that makes ageism different from other forms of discrimination: it affects everyone, regardless of who you are now. We are all aging from the moment we are born. Children as young as four years old begin to absorb and internalize our culture's age stereotypes. From that age forward, these stereotypes shape how they feel about and behave toward people of different ages—including themselves.

Ageism doesn't just target older adults. Younger people face it too—in the workplace where their voices are dismissed, in healthcare settings where their concerns aren't taken seriously, and in decision-making spaces where they're told they lack experience or wisdom. In fact, surveys in Europe show that younger people (ages 15-24) report experiencing more age discrimination than any other age group.

What makes ageism particularly insidious is that it intersects with and amplifies other forms of discrimination. If you're a woman, a person of color, have a disability, or belong to any marginalized group, ageism compounds the prejudice you already face. A lifetime of discrimination doesn't end as you age—it intensifies.

And here's the uncomfortable truth: globally, one in every two people holds ageist attitudes toward older adults. That means half the world has internalized beliefs that will eventually be turned against them as they age—if they're fortunate enough to live that long.

Point of interest 4

Why This Matters to Us. Perhaps you're thinking, "This is concerning, but how does it really affect me?" Let me count the ways—because the impact is both deeply personal and broadly societal.

Your Health and Longevity: Research has shown that people who maintain positive attitudes about aging live a median of 7.5 years longer than those who hold negative views. That's not a small difference—that's nearly a decade of life! Ageism is associated with earlier death, poorer physical and mental health, increased depression, and slower recovery from disability and illness. When we internalize negative stereotypes about aging—believing that memory loss is inevitable, that older people can't learn new things, or that declining health is simply "normal"—we actually make those outcomes more likely. Our beliefs become self-fulfilling prophecies.

Your Healthcare: Ageism in healthcare means that older patients receive less thorough care, shorter appointments, and less respectful treatment than younger patients. Medical conditions that are treatable—like vitamin B12 deficiency causing memory problems, or physical therapy for mobility issues—go unaddressed because healthcare providers dismiss symptoms as "just part of getting old." And it's not just older adults who suffer; younger people's health concerns are also dismissed or not taken as seriously.

Your Economic Security: In the United States alone, ageism costs $63 billion annually in healthcare spending—that's one out of every seven dollars spent on the eight most expensive health conditions for people over 60. But the economic impact extends far beyond healthcare. Age discrimination in hiring and the workplace means talented, experienced workers are pushed out prematurely. In Australia, estimates suggest that if just 5% more people aged 55 or older were employed, it would add $48 billion to the national economy annually.

Your Mental Health: An estimated 6.3 million cases of depression globally can be attributed to ageism. The constant barrage of negative messages about aging—that you're "over the hill," "past your prime," or becoming irrelevant—takes a profound toll on self-esteem, confidence, and mental wellbeing. This affects people of all ages who internalize these messages and begin to dread their own future.

Your Future Self: Unlike racism, sexism, or other forms of discrimination, ageism is unique because if we're fortunate to live long lives, we will all eventually experience it. The attitudes we hold today, the systems we allow to persist, the casual ageist jokes we laugh at or ignore—these are all building the world we ourselves will age into. The society we create now is the one that will either support us or diminish us in our later years.

The Bottom Line: We should care about ageism because it robs us of years of life, quality of health, economic opportunity, and human dignity. It erodes the bonds between generations and prevents us from benefiting from the wisdom, experience, and contributions that people of all ages can offer. And most importantly, we should care because the way we treat aging and older adults today determines the world we'll live in tomorrow.

The Carriage Lands

Our magical carriage gently descends, wheels touching down on solid ground once more. The whirlwind tour of ageism's landscape, from its origins to its far-reaching consequences, has brought us back to the real world with new eyes and a new realization.

We've seen that ageism isn't just "out there" affecting other people. It's in our language, our healthcare systems, our workplaces, and sometimes even in our own thoughts about ourselves and our future. But here's the hopeful part of this journey: awareness is the first step toward change.

Now that you've taken this ride, you can't unsee what you've learned. You'll notice the casual ageist remarks, the stereotypes in media, the assumptions people make based on age. And with that awareness comes power, the power to speak up, to challenge those attitudes, and to help create a world where people of all ages are valued and respected.

The carriage may have landed, but your journey continues. How will you carry forward what you've learned? Will you check your own language and assumptions? Will you advocate for age-inclusive policies in your workplace or community? Will you reach across generational divides to build understanding?

The choice is yours, dear passenger. The magical carriage awaits its next adventure, but the real magic happens in what you do with this newfound awareness in your everyday life.

Until our next journey together, stay curious, stay compassionate, and remember: we're all aging, and that's not just okay, it's something to celebrate.