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Ageism Doesn’t Discriminate
It beats up on all of us
Ageism is the last acceptable prejudice — and it bows down its victims at every turn. It’s a perverse exercise in stereotyping those who are at a different stage in life, as though its practitioners haven’t been there or aren’t headed in that direction.
Children are admonished for being too young to have a host of desires fulfilled, with no explanation. Asking “why?” — the hallmark of critical thinking — is considered impudent. Teenagers are ostracized as though they’re overwrought aliens. They’re considered fair game for mocking, especially those who go out on a limb creatively. Their fashions, music and language are often rejected out of hand. They’re treated like criminals if they grasp for adult perks like cigarettes or alcohol, but kids as young as 17 can get permission to march off to war.
Those fresh out of college usually work for a pittance if they’re lucky enough to land a job without experience — typically one unrelated to their academic goals and achievements — but they’re paradoxically scorned for behaving as though they’re entitled. They’re not supposed to mind all the doors slammed in their faces. Twenty-somethings swim in a sea of confusion as they strive to find their path in life. They’re supposed to be ambitious, but they’re often labeled as smartass upstarts, selfish and stupid. They’re pressured to be independent — except when they’re criticized for not heeding their elders’ advice.
Running in Circles
People in their 30s are often envied and resented by those who wish they could reclaim their own “best” years. In truth, the amount of labor and emotional energy required to build careers, relationships and families keeps many 30-somethings in a semi-permanent state of exhaustion. They’ve lost the freedom of youth. They’re expected to behave like grown-ups but they enjoy few adult privileges. In many cases, the prospect of owning a home, for example, is not just remote — it’s nonexistent.
Those who haven’t peaked by their forties are stereotyped as losers — never mind the notion that “life begins at 40,” or the many historic examples of late bloomers. A person who hasn’t settled on a career choice faces skepticism at best, invisibility at worst. Forty-somethings whose talent is…
