So how old are YOU?
If you’ve emailed with me recently, you might have noticed something new in my signature line. Along with my pronouns, I include my age. When I introduce myself on Zoom calls, I also mention my age, and when I’m hosting meetings, I invite people to share their ages in the chat.
Why am I doing this? If you’re reading this newsletter, you probably know that the aging population is rapidly growing. You are likely to agree that ageism is pervasive in our society and that older people are often excluded from policies, programs, and institutions.
There’s a huge disconnect here. All of us are aging, so why have so many of our structures and systems not been adapted to accommodate our increased longevity?
When we refuse to admit to our age (and for good reasons: the fear of discrimination at work and the shame instilled by the anti-aging industry and media, just to name two), we reinforce the status quo. If no one is aging, then ageism isn’t a problem, and we will never achieve a groundswell of support for better policies and greater resources.
Our culture of silence around aging (e.g., “a lady never tells her age”) perpetuates inequities in later life.
Age denial is rooted in internalized ageism, which also has a significant individual cost. Not surprisingly, a recent systematic review in the journal Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine confirmed that ageism negatively impacts older adults’ psychological wellbeing. On the flip side, a high level of psychological well-being may help protect against the negative effects of ageism, particularly in people who, “were proud of their age group, … [and] more optimistic about aging and their future.”
At GIA we’re not working toward an ageless society, because aging matters (see what I did there?). Our vision is a world where all people are fully valued, recognized, and engaged at all ages.
I am 45.5 years old (I want credit for those 5 months). This number does not define me, but it is core to my identity. At the upcoming conference in Detroit, I invite you to publicly affirm your age. You’ll be in good company.
