‘Ageing is not a destructive force’: How defying ageism can help you live longer – BBC
Serenity Strull / BBC
By Molly Gorman, 3 days ago
Research shows a positive attitude towards ageing can make people feel younger and live longer. Here’s how to fight ageism in your own life.
“Ageism can change how we view ourselves.”
That’s according to The World Health Organization’s global report on ageism. And addressing this bias – how we harmfully think, feel or act towards people, or ourselves, on the basis of age – is critical for creating a more equal world, it argues.
There are health benefits of defying ageism too – as research suggests that it can make people feel younger and live longer. More on that later.
It’s true that you can be any age and experience ageism. Take Gen-Z for example, those born between 1997 and 2012, who are often branded as “lazy” by older generations. It does mostly affects older adults though, and most of the research on ageism has focused on this demographic.
In the UK, one in three people experience age-based prejudice or discrimination. In a US study, 93% of 2,000 adults aged between 50 and 80 years old said they experienced some form of everyday ageism. Internalised ageism was the most common, followed by exposure to ageist messaging.
“The interesting part of this whole phenomenon is the person who is ageist is going to be aged at some point in time,” says Parminder Raina, scientific director at the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging in Canada. By 2030, one in six adults in the world will be aged 60 or over. “Ageism is a very personal issue. But people don’t recognise it as a personal issue.”
Negative attitudes towards ageing are often inherited in the early years of life, from our parents, the media or biased memories, even as early as three, according to one study. As a result, one researcher suggests that children must be educated on ageing from a young age to ensure their effective understanding of the life cycle, and to better prepare them for their own ageing process.
Ageing is not a destructive force. It is actually a remarkable achievement of the modern public health system – Parminder Raina
After all, the way we talk about ageing can affect how we feel about it, and in turn the way we live. Consider the language used in popular media – which undoubtedly can shape our views. Raina gives the example of the phrase “grey tsunami“, a metaphor which infers that our rapidly ageing population is a problem.
“Tsunami is a very destructive force. Ageing is not a destructive force. It is actually a remarkable achievement of the modern public health system,” he says.
A self-fulfilling prophecy
Ageism can cause older adults to internalise and confine themselves to negative stereotypes. For example, they may become less willing to accept new learning opportunities when they are perfectly capable of doing so, which can lead to low levels of self-esteem and self-confidence. This is referred to as the stereotype embodiment theory – where stereotypes are unconsciously assimilated, internalised and then influence day-to-day functioning and health.
In other words, it can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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