Self-Empowerment in Later Life as a Response to Ageism

TL;DRAbstract

Standing up to negative age bias can be a powerful first step toward having a fulfilling and productive Third Chapter of life.Ageism is alive and well, with old-age stereotypes lurking in public and private institutions. From the water cooler to the webpage, negative age bias is frustratingly prevalent. For older individuals, recognizing the current reality is a difficult, yet necessary, first step toward self-empowerment. Those who take that step position themselves to make their later years as productive and purposeful as they can be.Evidence of Ageism AboundsIn a recent New York Times editorial, Anne Karpf said, Older people are likely to be seen as a burden and a drain on resources, rather than as a resource in themselves. . . . Such 'gerontophobia' is harmful because we internalize it. Ageism has been described as prejudice against one's future self. It tells us that age is our defining characteristic and that, as midnight strikes on a milestone birthday, we will become nothing bu

Chat with Paper

AI Agents for this Paper