Ageism is one of the few prejudices we direct at our own future selves, yet its influence on how we think about growing older often goes unnoticed. In this episode of Varsity’s Roundtable Talk, Derek sits down with Ashton Applewhite, an internationally recognized ageism expert, activist and author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism, to challenge the myths and stereotypes surrounding aging.
In their conversation, Derek and Ashton explore how everyday language reinforces ageist assumptions, why our attitudes toward aging can influence our health and well-being, and how the idea of “successful aging” can do more harm than good.
Check out the full episode here.
WHAT IS AGEISM AND HOW DO YOU DEFINE IT?
The dictionary definition is discrimination and prejudice on the basis of age. We are being ageist, and we are all ageist all the time. Me too.
Anytime we make an assumption about someone or a group of people on the basis of how old we think they are. A friend of yours is dating someone new. I’m wondering, how old is that person? Why do we want to know? And what assumptions about that person or the relationship will click into place once we have a number? Ageism starts between our ears. You have to find it there before you can see it anywhere else.
WHAT ARE SOME EVERYDAY WORDS OR PHRASES THAT REINFORCE NEGATIVE IDEAS ABOUT AGING?
Anytime we use youth-oriented language like “young at heart,” what does that mean? Energetic, enthusiastic or spirited? You can be all those things at any age. Think about how you use the words old and young. Anytime you ascribe a value, positive or negative, you’re reinforcing an assumption.
When someone says, “I don’t feel old,” does that mean incompetent, sad or useless? We live in a very youth-oriented culture. We tend to equate young with better things and old with negatives. Try to notice that and break the habit. Describe the actual way you feel rather than saying young or old.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST PERSISTENT MYTHS ABOUT GROWING OLDER?
The mother of them all is the assumption that all members of a group are alike, which is clearly ridiculous. It’s especially ridiculous when it comes to age. How could millions of people born roughly around the same time be all alike? The biggest myth is that old people are alike, that at a certain point you cross over this imaginary velvet rope and you’re old and invisible and useless and sad. The fact is that as we age, we grow more different from one another. Diversity increases with age because we age at different rates cognitively, socially and developmentally.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT USING AI AND TECHNOLOGY TO ADDRESS SOCIAL ISOLATION AMONG OLDER ADULTS?
I think AI has enormous potential, but AI is based on computer code, and computer code is written or vetted by humans. If the people who write the code are biased, that bias gets perpetuated. We need to make sure bias isn’t embedded in it. I’m suspicious of blanket techno-optimism, the idea that technology created a problem and we’ll throw more technology at it. As for robots and things that are keeping older people company, I’m all for it. But I don’t think it’s a substitute for human touch and human companionship. We don’t want a world where human contact becomes a luxury available only to the very rich.
ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC THAT ATTITUDES TOWARD AGEISM ARE ACTUALLY CHANGING?
Yes, I am indeed. When I started out, I had to explain what ageism was all the time. Now most people know what the word means. That may seem like a small thing, but all change begins with awareness. Bias is unconscious for the most part, and you can’t challenge bias unless you’re aware of it. There’s now an International Ageism Awareness Day on October 9, and the Old School hub that I co-founded in 2018 has grown tremendously. Take a look at the resources there and you’ll see how raising awareness of ageism has become a global imperative.
