Ageism In American Culture

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Ageism is defined as the “process of stereotyping and discriminating against individuals who are old.” Individuals should have some understanding of the of what the term ageism but maybe limited to limited to jokes about aging or senior discounts that provide benefits for reaching a certain age. Studies of ageist attitudes tend to focus on negative aspects and also have a positive perspective, such as when the attributes of age are deemed advantageous. A positive view of ageism perceives an association between aging and greater wisdom, patience, and an enhanced appreciation of life's benefits. At this stage of the aging individual’s life it should be noteworthy and documented. The spirit of aging adults provides us with …show more content…

Social media's portrayal of aging and older people can varies depending on its objective. The media focuses on older people as consumers for advertising certain products or for political gain. When the focus is on television programming for the public the pictures of older people change dramatically. Positive images of older persons and of aging in the media will significantly change and reduce ageism in American culture. Healthy productive and successful older individuals who are shown on television shows, movies, and commercial advertising counteract the negative perceptions many people have about aging and the elderly. Mandatory retirement laws are the an example of the discrimination based on the individual’s age and the heterogeneity of older adults as related to competence in later life than at other times. (Bendick, Brown & Wall, 1999). A new awareness of older workers has emerged as retiring boomers take their knowledge and skills with them as they face retirement. As of now employers are recognizing their value and finding ways to keep them on the jobs longer. Employers and communities provide diversity training and lessons about ageism and …show more content…

Governmental programs that implement policies use age to categorize people to determine their eligibility for retirement or health benefits unintentionally fuel negative stereotypes. By providing retirement benefits to those who have reached the ages of sixty-two or age sixty-five, Social Security reinforces the perception that people should stop working and retire at those ages. While many Americans retire in their early sixties many aging individuals continue working full- or part-time and have no desire to

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