October is a big month in ageland. October 1 is the United Nation’s International Day of Older Persons. October 9 is Ageism Awareness Day. It’s a time to celebrate all the progress we’ve made, as well as to reflect on what still demands attention. One [thing] is the fact that ageism isolates, because it normalizes and enforces age segregation. Another is the misconception that ageism only affects older people.
This Ageism Awareness Day, I ask my older readers to remember:
- how hard it is to be young
- that ageism affects young people too
- that we know what it felt like to be 16, but not what it feels like to be 16 now.
I ask that we put down our phones and reach out to the younger people in our lives. To weather the awkwardness and adolescent scorn and hold on tight. This ask is deeply personal. I make it because the shooter in a recent school shooting, an isolated and very online teenager, was a member of my extended family. He shot two kids, then killed himself.
Everything about this is horrible. There’s plenty of blame to go around, not least on a social order that is falling apart. Right now, so much feels weird and bad. The antidote, especially in hard times? Practice togetherness. Isolation is bad for us all, not just teenage boys. At any age, social connection is what makes life rewarding and meaningful. Connecting across generations doesn’t just help end ageism. It could save lives.
