Ageism
Ageism is simply the discrimination against and clinching of groups or individuals on the basis of their age. I have decided to pick ageism because it is a significant issue in today’s world, and it has an adverse negative impact on the aged, especially on their health. Today, individuals aged sixty years and above are six hundred million globally. Statistics show that the number of aged people will be doubled by 2025, and by 2050, they will be two billion. If any measures are not taken to combat ageism, many aged individuals will suffer, increasing their mortality rate. Negative ageist attitudes are not confined to one ethnic or social group but are widely held across societies. Research shows that ageism may be more prevalent than racism and sexism. This has significant impacts on both society and the elderly.
A digital divide is a gulf between demographics that have access to the internet and computer and those who have restricted access.
Older adults are the most vulnerable to the digital divide. It is important to note that the digital divide is beyond the individuals who access the internet and digital devices and those who do not. It is also about digital exclusion gradations, that is, the variety, depth, and complexity of internet use. Restricted access to the internet and computers among the aged have significant social consequences. Today is widely integrated into people’s daily lives, and individuals who have restricted access to the internet and digital devices are more likely to be disadvantaged and disenfranchised. Research shows that the aged are on the negative side of the digital divide due to particular aspects related to older people, such as cognitive and physical deficits, lack of perceived usefulness of internet and digital devices, technophobia, and lower levels of computer literacy. The Internet adoption rate among older adults varies by income, education levels, ethnicity, and age. Studies have revealed that younger people dominate the modern digital world while older adults have restricted access to the internet and digital devices. This implies that the aged belong to the negative side of the digital divide.
A report released by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) revealed that older adults’ discrimination in workplaces harms the economy. According to this report, employers who undervalue older workers’ workforce could take about eight hundred and fifty billion dollars out of the United States’ economy. Due to unemployment, underemployment, involuntary retirement, and age discrimination among the people aged fifty years and above, the economy lost another eight hundred and fifty billion dollars in 2018. If ageism is embraced, all business sectors will be affected negatively, and the economy will be ruined.
Older adults are the most vulnerable to ageism. Besides, they are also on the negative side of the digital divide. If possible measures are not taken to combat ageism, many older adults will be adversely affected, including their health status. As more and more people attain sixty years and above, ageism may be more prevalent than racism and sexism. Since ageism affects the health of older adults, they will stop being productive in the economy. This is because they will spend most of their time and resources in the hospital. If the aged are ailing, this implies that they will be spending their savings on paying hospital bills rather than investing. If ageism is embraced, the economy will be ruined.