Ageism is contagious

Ageism has become so normalized and ingrained in culture that it is most often invisible. It is not only limited to obvious outright acts of discrimination. Ageism also includes the routine actions of everyday life that inform public and personal beliefs about what it means to age and be an older person.

Think about frequent intended compliments given such as: “You haven’t aged a bit” or “You look or act so young for your age!” What we actually mean to say is “you look healthy or great” or “You are engaged or energetic”. Using the word ‘young’ to describe beauty, engagement or energy and using the word ‘old’ to describe ugly, outdated or disengaged has become standard language.

Words have power. When the words we use imply that being old is bad, those listening and speaking are contributing to negative messages about aging.  Those negative messages are contagious and spread silently and invisibly to others around us. I call this process relational ageism.

Relational ageism describes the cycle of prejudice that travels from person to person and informs how we feel about ourselves as an aging person as well as how we view older adults.  The good news is that we can break this cycle. It’s as simple using age-neutral language that reflects what we actually mean rather than was is convenient and normalized. Now is the time to change the conversation about aging and what it means to be old.

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Tracey  Gendron, PhD  is  an  Associate  Professor  and  Interim Chair  of  the  Department  of  Gerontology  in  the  College of  Health  Professions  at  Virginia  Commonwealth  University.  Dr. Gendron’s  research  is  focused  on  the  language,  expression  and  perpetuation  of  ageism,  aging,  anxiety,  and  gerontophobia.  Her  personal  and  professional  goal  is  to  raise  awareness  of  how  deeply  embedded  ageism  is  within  all  cultures  and  settings.