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Ageism is discrimination against the elderly population. Ageism promotes the notion that growing older is a terrible and undesirable process which should be resisted at all cost. Today the society encourages this notion through the sale of products that help reduce wrinkles, dye hair, and even promotes plastic surgery options. People go to great lengths in attempts to prevent the impression that they may be growing old with women hiding their age. While the conventional notion of ageism is that it is towards the senior citizens, the prejudice has now evolved. It is against both young adults and also senior citizens.
Ageism can often occur at the workplace, whereby both the young and the old. Young adults face prejudice mostly when it comes to the workplace, whereby it may prove getting jobs. Organizations often have an age preference when it comes to recruitment, and when young adults get jobs, they receive lower salaries since they are perceived to lack adequate experience. On the other hand, older adults face discrimination in the workplace when it comes to getting promotions. Organizations prefer promoting younger people since they are not on track to retirement, and the position won’t become vacant soon. Still, older adults find it hard to change careers in their old age or to get any new jobs. This is because recruitment comes with the requirements for an ideal candidate. Often the older adults may seem overqualified, or there may be the notion that they are no longer energetic. This makes it difficult for older adults to find work, and those who are working prefer to remain in the same job for years.
Still, outside the workplace, ageism is an issue faced mostly by senior citizens. In the healthcare community, doctors may underestimate or overestimate concerns based on the age of the patients. For instance, complaints of aches and pains may be dismissed based on the fact that the patient has already reached an advanced age. Still, other doctors can opt to overprescribe medication or even decide to partake in vigorous examinations because of the patient’s age. In both cases, the doctors making decisions based on their age rather than the patient’s physical condition or medical needs. These doctors may even talk down to their patients, assuming that their hearing is impaired.
It is vital to note that ageism takes a toll on the senior citizens affecting even their self-esteem. The emotional impact that ageism can have on individuals can create a negative self-image not just on the senior citizens but also on the young adults. Senior citizens often undergo isolation in an attempt to avoid being a bother to their families. At the same time, young adults try to hide their age or lie about their age to get a particular job. Either way, it is the norms and perceptions of the society that have created ageism as a social problem. The society has created stereotypes which affect the way people treat the senior citizens and the way organizations perceive young adults. These stereotypes are the reason why senior citizens are often left at nursing homes by their children because they feel that the older population is a burden to them. This can affect the family dynamic creating a rift between the senior citizens and their children of grandchildren.