WHICH is worse? The assumption that you’re bad with digital technology because you’re over 50? Or the assumption that you’re good at it because you’re young at heart?
How about the assumption that you need to sit down on the bus because you’re old, versus the assumption that you’re okay to stand because age doesn’t matter?
The latest report from the NSA Research Team reveals that all these and more are among the ageist assumptions we love to hate.
Our 2024 National Seniors Social Survey asked older Australians if there were assumptions society makes about older people that particularly annoyed them.
Over 2000 people responded with a comment. During our analysis, we were able to sort these into a few thematic groups.
THE CONTRADICTIONS OF AGEISM
National Seniors Australia member Sandy Lindeman is living proof that age is no barrier, and experience matters.
At 78, Sandy has just been offered a job with the National Association for Loss and Grief (NALAG). She has been volunteering with the organisation one day a week, and they decided they wanted her to continue doing that in a paid capacity.
Sandy was uncertain and asked if they were sure they wanted “someone my age who sometimes has trouble hearing and wears a hearing aid”. The response was, “We don’t want someone, we want you.”
“I’m surprised and a bit humbled by it,” said Sandy, who retired 11 years ago after working in counselling roles with families, homeless youth and school students.
Her secret to being in touch and in demand?
“Ever since I retired, I have always kept studying,” she said. “I love learning.”
One theme among the comments was assumptions about older people’s bodies and brains.
These ranged from the assumption that we are all frail and incapable, to the assumption that we can still do everything we did when we were younger.
The reality is that older people are extremely diverse. While some of us are sharper and fitter than ever, others among us do need support and consideration.
For example, one person objected to the assumption that “old people are slow and not as good workers as young people”, while another wrote, “I feel that society is impatient with the slowness of older people”.
The contradictions in the age-based assumptions out there are evidence of how ridiculous it is to assume anything about us, as a group of people.
Another theme involved assumptions about older people’s value, lifestyle and outlook.
Under this umbrella come the assumptions that when we reach a certain age we are “past our use by date” with no value, that we have no life and don’t do anything fun or interesting, and that we are stuck in the mud and hate change.
Commenters vigorously refuted these assumptions, for example reminding the world that they make an “enormous unpaid contribution (to)society and economy”, “still want to be a punk rocker”, or have “had a lifelong history of protest” and therefore love change.
Conversely, commenters also objected to assumptions that older people should be obliged to do stuff all the time.
Authors: Lindy Orthia, PhD, Senior Research Officer, National Seniors Australia Canberra and Diane Hosking, PhD Head of Research, National Seniors Australia Canberra. Extract from source: The assumptions about older people that bleep us off – National Seniors Australia
