The first thing that pops into my head when I think of ageism is probably pretty common: discrimination against old people. But, when I thought of it a little more before preparing to write this, I thought about how it might affect my own life.
Due to the fact that I am only 21 years old, ageism hasn't personally affected me much, at least not in the way that I imagine it might affect a person well over 70. However, if ageism is simply defined as being a form of discrimination against someone based on their age, then that would mean anyone is vulnerable, right? If that's the case, then I think I can speak about the times when I've been "too young" for something.
The most common way I've been affected is when people in my mother's generation or older talk about "the good ol' days" and "how it was back then" and in doing so, they almost always prefer "those days" to these days. Having a personal preference and opinion about something is fine, and it's totally within every person's rights to do so. But where it gets a little iffy is when it's applied directly to another person, in a way that presents them as being wrong for disagreeing. It's a little hard to explain. Let me give you some examples, instead:
- "When I was a kid, we didn't have cell phones. You actually had to talk to the people next to you."
- "We didn't have the Internet. If you wanted to know something, you had to go to the library and look it up. Do you even know how to use a card catalog?"
- "When we went on road trips, we didn't have Google Maps. We actually had to use a map to find our way."
- "We didn't have all this high-tech video game stuff when we were kids. We had an Atari and all we played was Pong. It was two sticks and a ball and it was a classic."
- "I never stayed inside all day on a computer as a child. I'd play outside all day with the neighbor kids and only come back when the street lights came on or Mom called out for dinner."
See, these are about the only examples I can think of in which ageism has even remotely affected my life. People tend to believe this way are missing an important point, though. It's not like any of us young'uns had any control over when we were born or what technology was available to us in our upbringing. You act like I had any choice in the matter. You're dang right I'm choosing to use Google over the card catalog because it's faster, more thorough, and easier to maneuver. And why wouldn't I? The technology is available to me and it is the direction in which the world will continue to move. So my electing to use outdated tools benefits myself and others in no way whatsoever. If you ask me, when people say things like this, it shows a tiny bit of bitterness and resentment toward the present day, because "they didn't have it back then".
Similarly, I've heard my fellow Millennials comment with some disdain on even younger generations about how "my parents didn't get me a cell phone until I was 13. Why does a six-year-old even need one?" The answer to that question aside, it doesn't matter. First of all, it's likely none of your business; and secondly, the difference in cell phone technology and widespread availability between the time when we were six and now are worlds apart. As the environment changes, so too, will the standards by which we live. The same is true for all things.
Basically, my feelings on ageism are this: It definitely exists. There's no denying it's a real thing. Although I have not yet experienced workplace discrimination on the basis of my age, I do not doubt that it happens to other people. As for the ageism I have witnessed in my life, I think it's best for everyone to practice not pushing their own preferences on those who are different from them, just as it is with anything else.
I can't help being born when I was, and I can't help being socialized to behave the way present day society has conditioned me to. I am sure the summer of '69 was a wonderful time. But I can in no way truly appreciate that, because all the events in the universe had not yet culminated to result in my birth. However, I happen to remember the summer of '09 vividly, and for me, it was wonderful. Different from your summer, certainly. But every bit as valid of an experience to me as yours is to you.
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