1 in 3 Britons admit they’re guilty of ageism

MORE than one in three admit that they have picked on older people because of their age, according to a report.

It found that 34 per cent said they have discriminated against older individuals, and a large majority of those aged over 50 resent the prejudice they encounter.

Language is one of the key indicators of ageism. Telling somebody they look good for their years is more likely to be taken as an insult than a compliment. Suggesting that someone is of a certain age is also likely to go down badly.

Those in their fifties and above do not like to be spoken of as grumpy old women or grumpy old men – phrases made popular by TV programmes – and more than two thirds of older people feel undervalued when they hear language they regard as demeaning.

Six out of ten are unhappy to hear ‘ageist’ terms and more than half feel alienated by those who use such phrases, the report for SunLife insurance company said. The findings, taken from a survey and from research into phrases used on social media, said that those in their twenties and thirties are the most likely to hold and show derogatory opinions of older people.

Nearly half of those in their thirties, 48 per cent, say they have discriminated against older people. One in ten young people say they are so accustomed to their ageism that they do not know when they are guilty of it.

Ian Atkinson of SunLife said: ‘We want our report to encourage people to reconsider the language they use and their views of life after 50, especially given there is also evidence that ageism can impact mental health, hasten the onset of dementia and even shorten life expectancy.

‘People are too quick to speak without thinking of the consequences. Often, offence isn’t intended, but it can have a massive impact on the people it is aimed at.’

He added: ‘By raising the profile of this taboo, we set out to start the movement to remove it from the nation’s vocabulary.’ The survey, carried out among more than 4,000 people by Opinium, found that most people over 50 think the offence is unintentionally given, but 68 per cent say it makes them feel less valued, 60 per cent say it makes them unhappy, and 52 per cent say it causes alienation.

Ageism is most prevalent at work, where nearly a third have met insulting language or attitudes. In shops, one in six elderly people have been spoken to in a way they find offensive; on public transport, one in ten feel they suffer discrimination.

A third of people admit that at some point they have treated someone less well because of their age. Ageist language was identified for the survey in a trawl of social media and internet blogs, which found older people referred to with words like ‘decrepit’, ‘senile’ and ‘bitter’.

‘Speak without thinking’