Summary
Paula Span, author of the article “Ageism: A ‘Prevalent and Insidious’ Health Threat”, has noticed many advertisements and campaigns that attempt to be humorous, but instead it stereotypes and negatively impacts the elderly. For example, an ad for a food delivery service read, “When you want a whole cake to yourself because you’re turning 30, which is basically 50, which is basically dead” (Span, 2019). Although this company apologized for their attempted humor, they were not aware that they have presented ageism. Despite how awful ageism is, what these companies do doesn’t come close to the real negative impacts that occurs when the elderly are being discriminated against. Such biased viewpoints may “lead to poorer mental and physical health” which affects the elderly, as well as how certain policies are viewed (Span, 2019). For this reason, the World Health Organization has four teams around the world that are “collecting and assessing the available evidence on ageism – its causes and health consequences, how to combat it, and how to best measure it” (Span, 2019). Research done by these four groups have determined that anti-ageism programs and interventions that are most sufficient are those that are “created between the young and the old that… could lessen prejudice”, as well as “teaching facts about aging as a way to challenge stereotypes and myths” (Span, 2019). Overall, ageism negatively impacts elderly individuals, but with programs and interventions they can overcome it.
Sociological Reflection
Based on the description about ageism in this article, it supports the sociological understanding of aging in which ageism against older Americans doesn’t come from chronological age “but rather in the stereotypes about them and in the lack of adequate social programs” (Galta, Chapter 6 Lecture, 2020). Many younger individuals stereotype and discriminate the elderly, due to their lack of understanding on the process of aging, which targets older people with health problems and abuse. Although there are methods of “successful aging”, older people who are independently working on improving their life to positively impact their lives will not be nearly as beneficial for older people when many younger generations portray ageism. A greater positive impact for the lives of the elderly among us is to “focus on providing them with more numerous and more extensive social programming of many kinds” and “reducing the stereotypes and prejudicial attitudes that many Americans hold of older people” (Galta, Chapter 6 Lecture, 2020). Moreover, solutions that can benefit the elderly are an expansion of Social Security, an expansion of Medicare, and more flexible work hours and job-sharing arrangements. Other solutions include “increased pay and volunteer opportunities for older adults to help take care of young children and adolescents” (Galta, Chapter 6 Lecture, 2020). Overall, being aware of the factors that lead to ageism and how to overcome it helps positively impact the lives of older people and it better informs younger people on how to interact with the elderly.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/26/health/ageism-elderly-health.html
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