Perceptions of Aging

The realities of an aging population, which is expected to consist of over 83 million Americans that are at least 65-years-old by 2050, has some concerned that negative attitudes toward older individuals is creating a divided society and negative consequences.

A 2012 study from the Yale School of Health of Facebook groups that were created by individuals in their 20’s revealed that a majority of groups reviewed expressed negative views toward the older generation, including calls for older individuals to be banned from daily activities, such as shopping. However, a study by social psychologist Ellen Langer and epidemiologist Becca Levy suggests that some commonly expected differences between younger and older individuals may be caused by cultural expectations, as the study revealed that there was less of a difference in memory ability between Chinese individuals on different ends of the age spectrum, where it is believed less ageism exists culturally, than the American participants.

In an attempt to address the affects of negative perceptions of aging, proponents of the age-acceptance movement advocate programs and initiatives that integrate and create interdependence between older and younger individuals.

See Anne Karpf, The Liberation of Growing Old, The New York Times, Jan. 3, 2015.

Special thanks to Naomi Cahn (Harold H. Greene Professor of Law, George Washington University School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.