Ageism: Not Just the Elderly-Racism and Sexism's Evil Triplet

Ageism is defined by the prejudice, stereotyping, or hate against a certain age group. It is commonly recognized, treated as taboo, and disdained when it concerns the elderly. When a person shows prejudice toward a senior citizen, others are quick to shun the offender, and instantaneously become offended. ADEA(Age Discrimination Employment Act) passed December 15, 1967 prevents employers from discriminating against people over 40, and it prevents employers from setting a retirement age. Racial segregation was banned in the 1960's during Martin Luther King's time, and many sports and occupations recently opened their doors to women. Dictionary.com even defines ageism as

"1. discrimination against persons of a certain age group, and 2. a tendency to regard older persons as debilitated, unworthy of attention, or unsuitable for employment."


While all this is wonderful-what about youth? To many people, discriminating against youth goes completely unrecognized and is a socially and legally accepted day to day component of everyone's life. Schools go on day by day segregating it's children by approximate ages, employers will happily refuse many young workers before even getting a peek at their resume, or meeting them in person. Parents treat younger siblings different than their elders, and speech is often filtered and simplified around toddlers and the list goes on. Many people go their entire lives practicing such discrimination without their blatant prejudice even crossing their mind. If you happen to confront someone about their day-to-day ageism practices, most will argue that it is not discrimination at all, or that its just what you are supposed to do, yet they will say that it is wrong to discriminate against the elderly and that it is wrong to practice racism or sexism. Many people are hypocritical when it comes to this. They will say that ageism is wrong, yet practice it daily. Ageism against the young is widely accepted both ethically and legally-and its even supported.

The truth is, ageism against youth is just as harmful and hurtful as it is to the elderly. It is just as harmful and degrading as racism and sexism. Many youth from the minute they are born are bombarded and overwhelmed with prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination. Most children grow up being treated as inferiors, as lesser beings by both their parents, older siblings peers, and most of all the government. They are often pressured as pre-teens and adolescents to treat younger children this way, being shunned and looked down upon if they fail to do so, and are treated the same way by adults. When they reach adulthood, the vicious cycle continues.
Many adults who endured discrimination as youth forget how it felt, blindly accept it, and repeat these practices with their children and any other children they may encounter throughout the rest of their lives. Many adults and children too support government sponsored ageism blindly and fail to see the wrong in it. They look down on many youth advocates, youth rights protesters, or people who simply defend children in day-to-day social situations.

- Ageism today was racial segregation six decades ago, and slavery before the civil war- Just as widespread and accepted as racism was in the past, and just as deadly.