All Ages Need To Work Together To Fight Ageism
It’s great that so many segments of society want to fight ageism. Millennials are planning for ageism in their future, boomers are realizing that ageism is slowly starting to upset their retirement plans, and everyone well into their 70s and beyond is disappointed in the role ageism has played in their life.
Each generation writes articles, gives speeches, reaches out for help – but always as a segmented group, a siloed team fighting together.
Yes, being in siloed company means you have shared similar experiences at similar times in your life. That’s positive. However, it’s not a positive experience to miss out on additional ageism conversations that are taking place throughout other generations. You’re missing out.
By breaking down silos and creating a multi-generational narrative about ageism, there will be more learning opportunities. The young workforce will be more aware of ageism signs to be on the lookout for in their career, middle-aged individuals will be able to hear first-hand from older generations how to fight ageism – from what works to what doesn’t.
Segmenting generations in ageism conversations also gives the cause a bad rap. We are all trying to break a stereotype about age, but we are doing it by segmenting ages and their experiences in age silos. That doesn’t work.
Yes, the word about ageism is spreading. However, until generations come together to have one singular conversation, the ageism fight won’t be at its strongest.
What You Can Do
Be A Part Of The Written Narrative
If you see an article online about ageism, read it. Even if that article says it’s about “boomers” or just for “millennials.” Then, ingest the article on a personal level, and determine if it will help you in your own fight against ageism. If it will, leave a comment or reach out to the author, asking that the article be republished with a wider demographic in mind.
You can also find out if there’s a way you can guest author a post meant for all generations in order to help fight ageism. By becoming an important part of the written narrative about ageism you can shape the course of its future.
Start Conversations
You can also start conversations with anyone, of any age. Break free of age constricting boundaries, they’re only in your mind. You can speak about ageism with any age group – from young children all the way to the oldest individuals in our society. There’s always something you can learn from every conversation, no matter who it’s with. Stay open to hearing what everyone has to say, and help break the silos within the ageism fight.
Fight Your Own Stereotyping
If you find yourself having age stereotype thoughts about people you come in contact with, dig into the reason why. Keep a journal about stereotypes you make upon first meeting someone. It’s hard to break the habit of stereotyping, but the more you dissect the reason behind your split-second thoughts about someone, the more you can understand ageism, and ways to fight it.
