The Everyday Ageism Project: July 2013

The Everyday Ageism Project

The Everyday Ageism Project aims to capture people’s everyday experiences of ageism. Research by EURAGE shows that across the European region, ageism is the most commonly experienced form of prejudice, yet relatively little is known about how it is experienced, who experiences it and the situations which may leave people vulnerable to age discrimination.

By providing a safe forum for people to anonymously share their experiences, the project aims to understand the consequences of ageism and the ways that age discrimination can affect people’s everyday lives. We also wish to encourage people to share their stories to show that ageism does exist and that it is a valid problem worth discussing.

Click here to submit your experience of ageism.

Tuesday, 23 July 2013

Ageism in the Media Teaches People it's OK to be Ageist

The Rolling Stones headlining Glastonbury referred to as "night of the living dead"

"[A Newspaper] printed the following front-page headline: "Glastonbury night of the living dead", with two photos of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones. The two page article inside reported the Rolling Stones concert at Glastonbury, emphasising the age of the rock musicians throughout, in a supposedly joking manner. I was alerted to this headline by a passenger on the tube yesterday morning, and five of us started a discussion - all of us felt upset, and could not believe what we were seeing.

[This is ageism] Because being an older musician is not the same as being a dead musician. The article insulted a set of first class, older musicians by focusing on their age; by implication, it devalues other older folks. It condones and therefore encourages ageism in my view. It teaches younger people that it is OK to be ageist.

I felt sickened and sad. I felt potentially vulnerable to being judged for my age, rather than merit. It reminds you what I should expect about ageing, and I worried about my future. It reminded me that I need determination to do what I can to change perceptions of older people."