Kids Who Spend Quality Time with Grandparents Less Ageist
Researchers in Belgium found that children and teens who spend quality time with their grandparents are less likely to have negative stereotypical attitudes told the elderly.
Aging With Purpose in America Is Abundant
All you ageists – and you know who you are – believe that older adults contribute little to the world. And you’re wrong.
When Older Brains Get Better: A Refreshing Perspective on ‘Senior Moments’
Older brains can do things that younger brains cannot.
“You Look Good for Your Age” and Other Everyday Ageist Expressions To Avoid
Our daily interactions are full of casual jokes, clichés, and compliments that are blatantly ageist but culturally acceptable.
“Casual ageism” is rampant and not as harmless as it seems. Katy Read, writing in the Star Tribune, takes a comprehensive look at those everyday ageist things we unwittingly say and do – and offers advice from experts on what we can do about the problem.
Accompanying the article are 12 examples of everyday ageism that are so common — and in many cases, well-meaning — that you might not even think much about them, according to Sally Brown of the Vital Aging Network:
- Birthday parties featuring black balloons and crepe paper, cards that make fun of getting old, joke gifts about aging.
- "Anti-aging" products and services.
- Praising older people by comparing them to younger ones: "You look good for [your age]," "You're young at heart" or "Inside, I feel 30 years younger."
- "You're still... [dancing, driving, going to the gym, wearing a particular style]" or "You're too old to do those things."
- Describing minor forgetfulness as a "senior moment."
- Doctors, waiters and others directing comments about an older person at a younger companion or child of the older person.
- Health care and social-service providers who patronize older people, or who undertreat, overtreat or overmedicate them.
- Patronizing language (sweetie, dear, honey, he's so sweet, isn't she cute). Thinking older people doing things associated with younger people (mild cursing, having or referring to sex) is adorable or surprising.
- Name-calling: geezer, gramps, old fart, dirty old man, little old lady, old bag, biddy, old fogey.
- Lying about your age for fear of negative perceptions, or staying "39" year after year.
- Assuming that young people are computer geniuses and older people are technologically inept.
- Discussions of the "silver tsunami" that blame older people for economic and social challenges.
The Wisdom of Making Friends Across Generations
It’s rare that we have friends 10 years younger or older than we are. And that’s a shame, says anti-ageism activist Ashton Applewhite. In a recent blog post, she argues that an intergenerational world is a better world.
“A century ago Americans didn’t need programs to connect the generations: homes and communities housed people of all ages,” Applewhite writes. Now, our society is acutely age-segregated, she notes, and we need to work at being intergenerational. As the ranks of Americans 65+ grows rapidly, there are lots of good reasons to explore synergies across the generations.
Feeling Left Behind in the Mad Rush to Never Get Old
Everybody is expected to “age well” these days. What if that's not an option?
What Does Old Look Like?
See what happens when some young people make ill-informed assumptions about age.
Why Calling Older Adults ‘Sweetie’ or ‘Honey’ Is Ageist
Using pet names and child-like vocabulary with older adults is one of the most common ageist behaviors by well-meaning people.