Age Shaming: Wenn das Alter zur Diskriminierung wird

"You have expired, let's be honest! Who will choose you at this age? How do you put on your age? You didn't have a family up to this age? ”I recently read these comments on the social media page of a well-known person. She is in his mid -40s, fitness model and journalist. In my view, these comments reveal a lot of anger and many different problems, they not only show that the phenomenon of Age shaming is in full bloom.

Today I will write about Age Shaming because I think it is very important. Before I start, I would like to ask a few questions. Does the human body, which were sometimes perceived by a clearly patriarchal society as a marketing currency or as an instrument of lust, is irrelevant at the moment when it is no longer attractive? Why is the same body sometimes glorified and sometimes slandered despite its attractiveness? Envy, frustration, bias within the group, stereotyping, defensive attitude, inherited patterns, shareholders?

Age shaming is a type of discrimination that is often overlooked. It refers to negative stereotyping or devaluation of people due to their age. It can be comments, jokes, pictures or comments that relate to age. Although it may seem harmless, it can have serious effects on those affected.

Where does Age Shaming come from?

Age Shaming is often a result of our culture, the youth and beauty as idealized. People are often assessed according to their age and it is assumed that they lose value with increasing age. But these assumptions are wrong and harmful. The diversity of age should be estimated and aging should be regarded as a normal and valuable part of life.

How does Age Shaming affect those affected?

Studies show that people who are affected by Age Shaming have a higher risk of depression, anxiety and even physical illnesses. It can also lead to a loss of self -esteem and dignity and impair the quality of life. 

Some concrete examples of scientific studies that examined the effects of AGE Shaming:

Levy, B. R., & Myers, L. M. (2004). This study showed that retirement stereotypes can affect health. Researchers recommend combating age as an age and promoting a positive attitude towards aging in order to improve general well -being and health.

North, M. S., Fiske, S. T., & Dehumanizing, H. (2012). This study showed that age shame can lead to a dehumanization of older adults and that this dehumanization can have negative effects on cognitive performance and mental health. Researchers suggest that promoting a positive attitude to aging can help reduce these negative effects.

CHASTEEN, A. L., BHATTACYYA, S., HorHota, M., Tam, R., & Hasher, L. (2005).
This study showed that older adults who were aware of negative, age -related distortions before they made a memory test in the test in the test worse than those who were not aware of it. Combating negative retirement stereotypes and promoting a positive attitude to aging can even help to improve cognitive performance of older adults.

Age shaming towards younger people

Age shaming can not only affect older people, but younger people can also affect it. In young adults, for example, prejudices can occur that they are too inexperienced or unreliable to take on certain tasks. It can also lead to younger people are not taken seriously due to their age or are stamped as "children". 


This can lead to a lack of self -confidence and respect and have a negative impact on your career opportunities. It is important to address and avoid age discrimination against younger people in order to create an inclusive and respectful work environment.

What can we do about Age Shaming?

It is important to take action against Age Shaming by making ourselves aware of how we deal with our fellow human beings. We should work for an age without discrimination and be ready to speak out against Age Shaming and to ask others to do this too.

Age shaming in the world of work

Age discrimination in the workplace is an important topic that not only affects older workers, but also companies and society as a whole. There are different forms of age discrimination that can be shown in the world of work.

Prejudices based on age

One of the most common prejudices and types of age discrimination is the assumption that older employees are less efficient and flexible than younger people. Another prejudice is that older people are unable to technology or do not want to continue their training. These assumptions can lead to older workers being disadvantaged when hiring, promoting or awarding further training and development opportunities.

Another form of age discrimination in the workplace is the termination of older workers due to their age. This form of discrimination can have serious consequences for those affected, especially if they have difficulty finding a new job.

How can you avoid age discrimination in the workplace?

In order to avoid age discrimination in the workplace, it is important to sensitize people to the topic. One way to achieve this is to carry out training courses and workshops for employers and employees. Prejudices can be broken down and awareness of the importance of diversity can be created. The promotion of mixed -age teams and the creation of flexible work models can also help to ensure that older workers can stay in their professional life longer.

Conclusion

The human body has been a battlefield for many centuries of different views and the beauty and cosmetics industry. How about if we stopped for a few seconds? How about if we saw our body as a house? By the way, the only right house. One that we cannot exchange, but we can take care of it, love it and appreciate what it is.

In a world that is obsessed with youthfulness, it is easy to discriminate against people due to their age. But by making ourselves aware of how harmful this behavior can be, we can create a better world for all of us. Let us recognize age as a valuable resource and fight against Age Shaming.

Sources

Written by Mara Schär

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