It was said yesterday that youngsters as young as four contribute to unfavourable preconceptions and that older individuals suffer greatly from ageist views.
Parliamentarians on the Women and Equalities Committee were informed that over half of those over 50 had experienced age discrimination in the previous year.
Caroline Abrahams, the director of Age UK, used early children’s artwork as an illustration of deeply ingrained ageist beliefs.
‘What demonstrates how pervasive ageist attitudes are, people have asked young children to draw what they think an older person looks like,’ she told the committee.
‘You get little drawings of an old lady with a stick, actually, you have grandparents in their forties. It goes to show children are picking it up.’
Ms Abrahams’ observation that ageist views were shared by all generations was confirmed by Carole Easton, CEO of the lobbying group Centre for Ageing Better.
She said: ‘Every person in this room is ageist because we have grown up in this country—there’s evidence to show four-year-olds hold very stereotypical views about older people.
You feel under pressure to fit in if you think there is a stereotype. It is known that in the past year, up to 50 per cent of those over 50 had encountered age prejudice.
‘One-third of people hold ageist beliefs. We have a responsibility not to pit one generation against another.’
They made their comments yesterday as a part of the cross-party committee’s investigation of senior citizens’ rights.
The purpose of the investigation was to determine if ageist stereotypes and prejudice, such as portraying the elderly as affluent or defenceless “boomers,” hinder them from completely engaging in society. The investigation was started last year.
It will determine if England requires a commissioner to assist people and stop prejudice. In 2008, Wales established an office for the Commissioner for Older People.
Ms Abrahams warned that ageism was culturally acceptable in a way that other forms of discrimination are not, adding: ‘Those who view themselves as educated, progressive, in touch, quite openly will say something derogatory about older people in a way that would be totally unacceptable for them to say in terms of race, gender or sexual orientation.’
More than 11 million Britons were 65 years of age or older in 2021, according to the census, making up 18.6% of the population, up from 16.4 per cent a decade earlier.
Naturally, four-year-olds are not ageist; that being said, they may find an older person quite frightening and/or extremely old. However, I bet these four-year-olds go on to vote Labour over Lib Dems and telly tubbies running the country.
The one thing I find insulting and annoying is medical people. When they said they can’t diagnose or can’t be bothered to diagnose after examining you and then they say that we should suck it up and that we’re old. Now, that’s discrimination.
It all depends on your point of view; even a twenty-year-old appears elderly to a four-year-old. My children seriously believed that my life had only begun when they were born!
There are three age groups: young, middle-aged, and elderly, and everything in between.
Older folks will always be considered elderly by younger generations. It’s not ageist, but it’s natural.
My son is thirty-three but he considers himself old. I am 61 years old. I tell my children that I’m just a fossil.
Four-year-olds are just being truthful. They report what they observe. It’s not malevolent.
A lot of feeling old is in the mind. I am disabled. My body feels about 90 but my brain says twenty-five because I think young. I keep as busy as I can and I’m not a bitter and twisted woman. This has taught me to enjoy my life as best I can and to stay active and inquisitive.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 