How is ageism damaging and how can we start to question it?

You may well have seen our latest news story ‘How men and women experience ageism differently’ which was covered yesterday by the Daily Mail.

Ageist attitudes are all too common, and this campaign is focused on tackling and changing them. Exploring how people experience and feel about ageism has been incredibly revealing. While the gender split of those identifying age-based discrimination is roughly even, the impact often varies by gender.

Women, for instance, are more likely to feel patronised, dismissed, or ignored - often due to the combined effect of ageism and sexism. Meanwhile, men are more likely to report being treated rudely or aggressively. Of course, both patronising and rude behaviour can affect anyone, but these patterns highlight the nuanced ways ageism shows up in people’s lives. This insight underscores the importance of our work to challenge stereotypes and nurture a society where everyone is treated with respect, no matter their age.

People usually don’t realise that the things they say can be ageist or the harm ageism can cause. Ageism isn’t harmless, it means we don't get healthcare we need, find it harder to get work, and in the end these experiences can mean we start to limit ourselves as we age.

When we absorb ageist messages, it can eat away at our confidence, creating what’s known as self-directed ageism. This mindset not only holds individuals back but also with that lack of confidence, it makes it harder to challenge others’ ageist attitudes. It’s crucial for those of us who feel confident about ageing and challenging ageist attitudes, to stand alongside those who don’t, using our influence to challenge stereotypes and foster a culture where everyone can age without limits.

Change starts with conversations. Simply talking about ageism can start to raise awareness and reduce unfair treatment.

A great way to open a conversation is by asking questions. We hear from our storytellers with lived experience, that many of them, being confidently pro-age, raise conversations with their children, younger colleagues at work and even friends their own age to talk about their thoughts and feelings around their own ageing and how they look at older people.

For those who do hold self-limiting beliefs, or attitudes that diminish older people - you could start that conversation by asking:

• “What do you mean?”
• “Is their/my age relevant?”
• “Couldn’t you just say X instead?”

Yes, ageing has its challenges, but ageism shouldn’t be one of them. Together, through open conversations and shared understanding, we can create a future where everyone is free to age without limits.

As well-being expert and broadcaster, Dr Radha Modgil, says in the video below, “The more of us talk about ageism, the more of us are aware of it, the less people will experience being treated unfairly as they age.”