How you think about aging can change how you age yourself
Robert Carter
Last Christmas, my 4-year-old son was worried that Santa would forget the presents on his list. “Because Santa is old.” I was shocked. At that moment, I realized that he already had negative stereotypes about older people. Perhaps I should be surprised, given the way they are portrayed on TV, movies, books, and advertising, and the way we collectively talk about aging? But given what I now know about such views, I was very concerned.
Ageism is perhaps the last acceptable form of prejudice. Other forms of discrimination are considered reprehensible, but they have become the norm. The World Health Organization reports that globally, one in two people is ageist. Unfounded stereotypes about old age have a direct impact on people’s later life, including economic opportunities and health care. Age discrimination is one of the biggest barriers faced by people around the world, affecting every aspect of life. Nancy Morrow Howell at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. “It’s very pervasive, very accepted, and very invisible.”
But age discrimination is not only bad for society. My concern about the development of my son’s retirement mindset also stems from the discovery that negative stereotypes about older people are bad for the people who hold them as well. Researchers have found that they affect aging both physically and mentally, affecting many aspects of later life, including memory function and hearing loss.
Source: www.newscientist.com
