"Ageism: What Have You Absorbed? What images, words, or feelings come up when you think about someone in their 70s, 80s, or beyond? Are they wise, vibrant, and engaged-or frail, forgetful, and out of touch? Our culture is saturated with messages about aging, and many of them are far from kind. Everyday Microaggressions Which of these have you experienced or witnessed?"
"Videos of older adults dancing are called "adorable," as if joy and movement are only for the young Jokes about hot flashes, Viagra, or the sex lives of older adults Assumptions that older adults can't use technology Someone speaking loudly, slowly, or patronizingly to an older adult, as if age means incompetence Dismissing older adults as silly, or irrelevant ("OK Boomer") "Age-defying" beauty treatments, as if aging itself is a flaw"
"How we think about aging can literally change our health. Research led by Becca Levy, Ph.D., has shown: Those with the most positive beliefs about aging live on average 7.5 years longer than those with the most negative beliefs. In a longitudinal study of over 600 people across a span of up to 23 years, study participants' beliefs about aging were a stronger predictor of longevity than gender, income, social background, loneliness, or even functional health (Levy et al., 2002)."
Ageism permeates culture through subtle and overt messages that portray older adults as frail, forgetful, or irrelevant. Everyday microaggressions include patronizing speech, jokes about aging, assumptions about technology use, and framing joyful movement as "adorable." Beliefs about aging affect health outcomes: more positive beliefs associate with an average 7.5-year longer lifespan and stronger prediction of longevity than many demographic or social factors. Negative stereotypes held earlier in life increase risk of later cardiovascular events. Positive aging involves growth in wisdom, happiness, and emotional regulation, while intergenerational connection and shedding unnecessary commitments support aging well.
Read at Psychology Today
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]