Younger people often view older people as slow, annoying, and sometimes even a burden. Taiwan is an aging society, so we try to make sure we care for the elderly. From minor policies like discounted public transportation fares to health insurance subsidies, Taiwan does well taking care of our elderly population compared to other countries, at least according to official metrics.

However, we aren’t as friendly to the elderly as some think. For example, almost 50 percent of older people in Taiwan feel disrespected. They feel this way because there is casual ageism at work that we often overlook.

Ageism at home

When was the last time your grandparents asked you to help with technology? Instead of treating them with patience, people are annoyed when helping their grandparents to connect to WiFi or navigate their phone. This example seems trivial, but it reflects a common attitude towards older people. Although older adults may take longer to adapt to new technology, we should acknowledge that they didn’t grow up in a world where everyone had smart devices.

Ageism at home also manifests in negligence and isolation of elderly people. Elders tend to become socially inactive and lonely as they retire from work and when children are not around. Yet, social interactions are important for people to maintain their health.

We think growing old is bad

As a society, we are taught to resist aging. The media describes celebrities whose facial features in their forties look similar to their younger selves as “aging like fine wine”. The beauty industry often promotes anti-aging products, portraying wrinkles, fine lines, and drooping cheeks as features we should avoid.

These messages instill the idea that aging equals declining social status. As a result, we may see elderly people with little value or contribution. Our negative perceptions towards aging can subconsciously play into policy-making, causing us to collectively neglect older people. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating youth, but similarly, we shouldn’t feel uneasy or anxious about growing old and showing signs of aging.

Ageism should not be the “acceptable” type of discrimination

People laugh off ageist jokes and casually stereotype older people in negative ways, such as calling them senile. When the media criticizes other forms of discrimination like racism and sexism, ageism rarely catches their attention because we are less conscious of our attitude toward older people.

Our culture centers all things “young” and pushes the elderly to the margins. In capitalist economies, we tie value to productivity. We think older people cannot contribute to the economy because they are not as efficient and adaptable as younger generations.

While it’s true that older people may retire and slow down professionally, this narrow view ignores the wisdom, experience, and emotional support they provide for their communities or families. When we assume older people are irrelevant to the workforce or society, we also cut them off from social circles, leading to loneliness and a loss of purpose.

If we care about discrimination at all, we should also be talking about ageism.

We think growing old is bad, when, instead, it’s a wonderful and natural thing. In Taiwan’s rapidly aging society, we need to stop acting like elderly people are a burden, rethink the role of elderly people, and find ways to combat ageism. Casual ageism goes unchecked and unnoticed. If we continue to ignore ageism, it’ll harm us all eventually.