This article has great points on how ageism effects the young as well as the old. When most people think of ageism they think of how it affects the elderly. But ageism actually affects people of all ages. People forget that in order to fight ageism we have to fight it from every angle. Ageism is something that everyone can relate to. We have all been told that we were too young for something at one point in our lives. Ageism against young people can also mean people stereotyping them. Many older people think that teenagers are all lazy, entitled, reckless and not respectful. Although some young people are like this, the majority of teenagers aren't. The picture below is a poster that was in a convenience store. This poster demonstrates the stereotype that all teenagers are bad kids that are going to egg houses on Halloween. This isn't true. What if they just wanted to make a cake? This stereotype makes teenagers feel like adults don't appreciate them and think poorly of them.
In order to stop ageism, people have to realize that everyone is important and should be valued, no matter what age they are. People have to understand that one day, you will be old too and it's important to show respect for the elderly because the way you treat them is how you will be treated one day. People also have to realize that they were all young once. Older people tend to forget what it was like being younger. They think that they were perfect and did nothing wrong. People should give teenagers the respect that everyone deserves. Instead of making a snap judgement, people of every age need to take time to get to know someone.
#4 I like this topic a lot, and this post in particular because it reveals that ageism really is not restricted to the elderly, but to young people as well. In my opinion, I sometimes feel that ageism affects young people more than any other generation. Being constantly looked down upon, criticized, stereotyped and doubted is not something to take lightly. It is up to us to turn this around!
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