The unspoken prejudice: Ageism

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Awhile back here on myLot, a millennial member posted a political discussion and became engaged in a heated back and forth exchange with another member expressing opposing viewpoints. Subject matter isn’t the issue but the manner in which the discussion essentially climaxed with the millennial stating “You must be an old person.” I could “hear” a snarling contemptuous tone that symbolized growing disregard verging on hostility toward the older crowd never seen before in society. It is ageism, the unacknowledged “ism.” It does exist from blatant in your face rudeness to the more subtle. Age discrimination has become very real. There’s always been generation gaps. It’s natural. There’s always been the young set referring to elders as old geezers and squares. Again, natural. We’ve all gone through that phase. The difference is we used to mature into adults leaving that attitude behind. Today, the “old people” are being thrown under the bus in a variety of ways. This “ism” has exploded during the past 10 years beginning with the recession sending 1000s of laid off mature workers to the unemployment line. A grim reality developed. Over age 50 workers were not wanted or considered. It was revealed that some employers simply deleted and dumped resumes of those over 50 or thought to be over 50. This was reported. I have read such stories over the years. The Age Discrimination Act of 1967 is nearly impossible to enforce. The result was a flood of forced retirees applying for early Social Security to government dismay. The millennial reaction: vocal harsh resentment that money is taken from their paychecks to support Social Security and Medicare for “old people.” Ignorance. Retirees are basically receiving back money taken from a lifetime of paychecks. Blame the government for mismanaging its Social Security Ponzi scheme. The media and Hollywood pander to the youth demographic as if only that one matters. Adult programming is slowly becoming a niche product. Old black and white movies are sneered at and one film professor reported his class refused to watch them. Advertising and corporations also pander to that demographic to the point you get the feeling a young dollar is somehow more valuable than an old dollar. Millennials like to rant that “old people” are the cause of social injustice and ruining the environment. A fair argument if they were capable of engaging in reasonable debate rather than raging and screaming you better be with them or else. There’s a big but. If you point out to a millennial their own environmental pollution or social prejudices, the response tends to either be silence or anger. They don’t handle criticism or debate well. Of course not all young people are purveyors of ageism and hostility. The vast majority are not. However, there is a segment operating in the media, tech industry and politics that are fostering age discrimination. It’s more of a generalized social attitude. We exist in a politically correct era where retribution is swift for the slightest perceived discrimination against race, gender, sexual preference, religion plus the issues of body shaming, sexism and climate change. What’s missing from the list of don’ts: age. There’s a difference between a snarky “You must be an old person” and meant in jest “You must be an old person” where you kid back “You must must be a young person.” One is nasty and the other humorous. The former is offensive. Substitute another word for old from the don’t list and it’s grounds for moral outrage and being kicked off a site. But it’s open season on the old. The rude awakening will come when millennials are the old people. This is an observation from the perspective of an “old person” not meant to offend anyone of any age. This isn’t a dissertation filled with footnotes to back up statements. Just a voice from the unspoken discriminated. Have a laugh at the clip from “The Office” about ageism.