What is ageism, and how does it affect health?

Ageism is prejudice or discrimination against people based on their age. It typically applies to people who are older but can affect young people. Ageism has a negative impact on physical and mental health, and reports link it with earlier death.

Ageism is a systemic form of oppression, but unlike other causes of inequity, such as racism, sexism, or ableism, anyone can experience it. People don't take ageism as seriously as other forms of inequity.

Types of Ageism 

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There are many ways to categorize ageism. Terms that describe where ageism takes place include:

• institutional ageism occurs when an institution perpetuates ageism through its actions and policies
• interpersonal ageism occurs in social interactions
• internalized ageism is when a person internalizes ageist beliefs and applies them to themselves

Ageism can vary according to the situation. For example, hostile ageism involves someone having openly aggressive beliefs about age, such as that teenagers are violent.

Examples of Ageism 

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Ageism comes in many forms. Some examples of ageism in the workplace include:

• refusing to hire people over or under a certain age
• enacting policies that unfairly privilege one age group over another
• viewing younger people as unskilled, irresponsible, or untrustworthy
• bullying or harassment

Some examples that appear in personal relationships include:

• making offensive generalizations about a specific generation, e.g., that millennials are entitled
• disregarding someone’s concerns or wishes due to their age
• taking advantage of someone’s age for personal gain, such as to make money
• using someone’s age as justification to undermine, deceive, or control them

How Ageism Affects Everyone

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Ageism doesn't only affect individuals — it has far-reaching consequences. These include:

Higher rates of illness: Ageism reduces people’s physical and mental health, increasing their care needs and reducing quality of life as they get older.

Higher healthcare spending: According to the WHO, the US spends billions of dollars per year treating health conditions due to ageism.

Poverty: Higher healthcare costs exacerbate poverty. This can be especially difficult for people who are retired, who have lost their partner or spouse, or who cannot work due to disability or illness.

Lower life expectancy: Ageism is associated with earlier death, causing a decrease of 7.5 years on average.

Stopping Ageism

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The WHO states there are three ways to combat ageism:

• education to dispel myths and stereotypes and raise awareness of the impact of ageism
• intergenerational interventions, which create cooperation and empathy between age groups
• law and policy changes, which can reduce inequity and discrimination

On an individual level, people can contribute to these efforts by being an ally. Allyship involves dedicating personal time and energy to taking action against ageism by:

• Becoming aware of ageism
• Learning about ageism
• Developing skills
• Taking action

Conclusion

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Ageism is a systemic form of oppression against people of specific age groups. It affects older adults most severely but can also impact young people. It is based on prejudice, such as the idea that all older adults are unintelligent or uncooperative, or that young adults are not worth taking seriously.

- Hrishabh Jain