Society is divided according to whatever criteria - from nationality to gender, from social level to sexual orientation. It would seem that there is nowhere else to go, but inventive people always find reasons to consider someone worthy of condemnation or disdain. Ageism is just one such phenomenon that occurs in almost all countries of the world, with rare exceptions. The situation is most favorable in the Scandinavian countries, where the active fight against any discrimination has already brought abundant results.
What is ageism?
Translated from English “age” means “age”. We are talking about discrimination based on age, and in the vast majority of cases, problems arise among the older generation. In modern society, ageism has flourished so rampantly that it is already perceived as a normal state of affairs. People don't even notice how unfair they are to those who are older. And the point is not at all about some nominal respect or honor.
For some reason, old age is considered something shameful and terrifying. Older people are attributed stupidity, absurdity, uselessness and inertia of mind, young people quite seriously believe that after reaching a certain number of years lived it is impossible to be either smart, beautiful, or successful.
Varieties
In psychology, there are several types of ageism in Russia and the world:
- Feminism. Preference is given to younger people. Infringement of rights and interests concerns external data, political views, culture, performance, business, etc. It is assumed that upon reaching a certain age level, a person loses physical strength, beauty, energy and, as a result, is significantly inferior to youth. Such people are perceived by society as inferior and do not understand anything about fashion and other modern trends.
- Adultism. In this case, the situation is completely opposite. Sexism targets young people or children who do not have sufficient life experience, wisdom and skills. Ridicule comes from parents, close relatives, teachers, teenagers and older children.
- Chronocentrism. The phenomenon concerns entire eras. It is believed that one era has advantages over any other previous one.
- Adultocentrism. The egocentrism of older people has exaggerated proportions.
Ageism often leads to the development of various phobias. A person develops a fear of small children, teenagers or, conversely, pensioners. Such problems require the intervention of qualified specialists in the field of psychology. It is important that the psychologist not only correctly diagnose, but also prescribe adequate therapy.
In the absence of proper treatment, one phobia attracts the next. A person develops a depressive state, various manias and other psychological problems, which over time develop into pathological ones.
Youth as a prerequisite
Young people are cherished everywhere - this is what was sung in one song from the times of the USSR, and in it the old people were given honor. Probably, at some point, everything was taken too literally, and older people were asked to literally not get in the way. Youthful freshness has become a primary requirement in literally all areas of life. To get a job or to achieve success in any way, you need to exude youth, and wrinkles or natural gray hair have been equated with ugliness.
In Russia, ageism is seriously different from a similar phenomenon in Europe or America. If there the forty-year mark is considered the very beginning of maturity, then in our country, for some mysterious reason, these far from decrepit years were declared the threshold of old age. This should not be considered an ordinary harmless delusion; a huge beauty industry thrives on age discrimination - nowhere else do they siphon so much money out of an unfortunate pair of wrinkles.
Lookism, sexism and ageism
We have to admit that through stereotypes only an illusory picture of life emerges. All “annoying” factors are put somewhere outside the brackets, they try not to notice them, ignore them. For example, lookism is discrimination based on appearance. Inconsistency with the generally accepted canons of beauty, the wrong height, weight or body proportions is already a reason to throw a person out of the circle of privileged individuals.
Sexism in the vast majority of cases goes hand in hand with misogyny. Gender oppression is one of the signs of a deeply patriarchal society, in which women seem to be indispensable, but at the same time, “a chicken is not a bird, a woman is not a person.”
All examples of ageism are in one way or another connected with lookism and, to a large extent, with sexism. If a woman is no longer a young nymph, but still does not meet the parameters suitable for gloss, the pressure of society can become unbearable. Perhaps only strong-willed, self-sufficient individuals do not suffer from this.
Why is computer graphics used in advertising?
As with everything, CGI in advertising serves two purposes: to make the picture beautiful and to show anything in any way. Imagine a typical ad for men's deodorant in the style of a nineties action movie. A muscular macho man saves the world within twenty seconds, dodging cruise missiles. The helicopter explodes in the frame, and the hero’s shirt is dry and does not smell at all. All this would be impossible to show on screen without CGI.
Or here is Audrey Hepburn come to life in a Dove advertisement - controversial from an ethical point of view, but the visualization is impressive.
And it's not just about videos. In fact, all the beautiful pictures around us are created using CGI - and where can this be used if not in advertising? Promotional pages, TV spots, printing, outdoor advertising and everything else cannot do without computer graphics.
Examples of advertising images with CGI graphics.
Reasons for age discrimination
Psychologists note several main factors that can lead to manifestations of ageism. People tend to fear old age, when illnesses begin and death approaches. I don’t want to be like all these old people with their petty interests. Ageism is not only discrimination, it is also the fear that one might end up in the place of the oppressed. It turns out to be a classic vicious circle: all anxious feelings and sensations are expressed in the desire to distance themselves as much as possible from approaching old age, transferring the negative attitude from the phenomenon to other people who have already left their youth behind.
Ageism manifests itself in different ways at work. It is believed that if a person has not taken a leadership position by the age of forty, then he is a loser and a bad professional. Of course, this is a fallacy; everyone cannot be a boss, and good performers are worth their weight in gold. However, the collective subconscious may be stronger.
Causes of ageism: where does it come from?
The conflict between fathers and children is an eternal problem. In the modern world, it is expressed in the form of a dispute between boomers and zoomers, generation X and millennials. Causes of ageism include:
- The transition from a multi-generational family to a nuclear family has led to young people having less contact with older people, which has led to more misunderstanding and mistrust.
- Rapid developments in technology and changes in government ideology are widening the gap between the “old” and the “youth.”
- “Economic” ideas that the elderly are less valuable members of society, unable to work productively and be useful.
- There is also an opinion that a negative attitude towards the elderly is associated with the fear of their own old age and death - people try to avoid any reminders of them.
Employment problems
If you open a job site, an unsightly picture emerges. The vast majority of vacancies are aimed at people under thirty years of age. Sometimes the upper limit is moved five years higher. An employer who is ready to hire people under forty is already considered progressive. Despite the fact that the right to work is guaranteed to citizens of working age up to the retirement age, in practice ageism in hiring is present in the vast majority of companies.
Formally, an applicant can defend his rights in court, but it is extremely difficult to prove that he was not hired precisely because of his age. And even if you manage to turn the matter in your favor, then how can you work in an organization where you had to get a job through the court?
Not a pleasure
A resident of Portugal, Maria Morais, experienced an unsuccessful operation in 1995, after which she could no longer have sex. She sued the hospital and won in 2013 with compensation of 80 thousand euros. But a year later the decision was reversed. The unsuccessful operation occurred at “an age when sex is not as important as in youth,” is how the Portuguese court explained its decision. Morais was only fifty in 1995. Justice triumphed only at the beginning of October 2022. The European Court of Human Rights concluded that the decision that sex at fifty is no longer important is due to outdated ideas that female sexuality only matters in the context of childbearing.
Morais' example is a typical illustration of how society perceives people over fifty. In 2014, University College London researchers studied the experiences of around 7,500 English people over fifty-two and found that a third of them faced discrimination because of their age. Ageism manifests itself in less respectful communication, worse service in shops, cafes and hospitals, condescending attitudes, threats and harassment.
Psychological difficulties
With an increase in the number of signs of age, some people may experience worsening anxiety conditions; periods of sadness, apathy, and even depression cannot be ruled out. “Why live if I’m no longer young” is not a rare complaint. In psychology, ageism is not only the desire to elevate oneself by discriminating against someone based on age. It is also a distinct self-hatred if the mirror begins to dispassionately report that a birthday is a sad holiday.
Everything turns out to be closely connected. If you sincerely consider older people to be narrow-minded and inert, believing that they can no longer be interested in something new, love, have fun and have sex, then upon reaching this age, a distinct self-loathing is inevitable.
Anti-aging as a product
It is on psychological characteristics that the anti-aging beauty industry is based. In this case, ageism is the best driver of trade. They sell everything that can postpone a terrible period, hide wrinkles, return the “glow of youth” to the skin, tighten everything, eliminate gray hair. But this is not only cosmetics, it is also quite expensive procedures, plastic surgeries, sports programs, shapewear, a huge assortment of fashionable clothes, accessories and gloss that sings along with the rhythm of sales, assuring that if you do all this, old age will not come.
As long as the best compliment for a woman is to clearly understate her age, anti-aging will continue to sell. But is this trap really effective only for the fair sex? Alas, men are just as susceptible to age stereotypes and begin to desperately look younger, just to delay the moment when they will be called old.
Fear of death
Ultimately, any manifestation of ageism is a concentrated sense of the finitude of human life. If we exclude accidents and serious illnesses, old people have a kind of monopoly on death. From the point of view of the young, they seem to be under the shadow of an approaching death, and this cannot but depress them. In many ways, this impression is illusory, it is far-fetched - at any age you can perfectly enjoy life and be interested in something new. Of course, compared to the rhythm of life of young people and their mobility, it may seem as if the finish line is already looming somewhere, beyond which lies the unknown and oblivion.
In countries where manifestations of ageism have practically disappeared, the image of an elderly person is not associated with such a depressing gloomy overtone as it is in ours. This largely depends on social security, the level of healthcare and other factors. As an example, we can cite the principle of age selectivity in the provision of medical services, which has not yet been eradicated from us. While a young taxpayer, as a promising citizen, will certainly be treated and saved, a person of retirement age too often hears the mention of old age as a diagnosis. Indeed, why save someone who is no longer profitable.
Changing public opinion and challenging stereotypes helps make the social climate more positive overall, so why not start with ageism?
Ways to combat ageism
The fight against ageism is a complex and lengthy process, which may even require government intervention and the adoption of appropriate legislative decisions. However, not all problems can be solved by banal prohibitions, especially when we are talking about prejudices that have long been and firmly rooted in the public consciousness. Changing mentality may take tens or even hundreds of years, but you can fight age discrimination yourself by adopting the tips and recommendations below:
- Start with yourself. First, try to get rid of your own biased attitude towards both young and old people;
- Develop yourself. Spend more time on self-development and self-education, because the status of an educated, thinking and well-read person will not only make you an interesting conversationalist for representatives of all age groups, but will also protect you from reproaches of inexperience and ignorance;
- Learn to defend your own opinion. As you know, the truth is born in a dispute, but it must not only be found, but also justified. To do this, you will need self-confidence and a willingness to defend your own position, supporting every word spoken with facts;
- Try to get out of your comfort zone. There is now a lot of talk about leaving the comfort zone, often, and not always to the point, but the essence of this phenomenon is quite simple - there is no need to be afraid of innovations and be afraid to change your usual way of life and thinking.
Naturally, the fight against ageism is a long and complex process that requires an integrated approach. But by eradicating age prejudices in yourself once and for all, you can avoid a number of serious psychological problems when you yourself (which inevitably) find yourself among the elderly.
