How Ageism Awareness Day aims to overcome persistent bias

9/28/2025

October 9 is Ageism Awareness Day, an initiative launched in 2022 by the American Society on Aging (ASA), a national membership organization.     

You might wonder why we need another day to allocate to a cause. That is because ageism is everywhere and detrimental to our health and well-being, financial security and the American economy. It is considered the most widespread and socially acceptable form of prejudice. 

The impact of ASA’s initiative has caught on in a big way. It has been promoted with thousands of blogs, webinars, newsletters and campaigns, with state and local proclamations, features on national and local news as well as with over 100 partners and advocates. Clearly, the need is there and the time is right.  

So, let’s talk about ageism. It is how we think – how we feel – and how we act towards others based on age, according to the World Health Organization. It applies to older and younger people. For this column, we are focusing on older people.

Here are a few different types of ageism.

Internalized ageism. This is a personal one, a feeling we have about ourselves as we age. Examples are, “I am just too old to start a painting class, exercise or learn to play chess.”   

Implicit ageism. This is a bias we are unaware of that includes our attitudes, feelings and behaviors toward those in our age group. An example is, “We need an energetic, creative and young person to be our new membership chair.”

Interpersonal ageism. These are the comments and behaviors that happen when people get together. It can be positive or negative. My observation is that the latter is more prevalent. Examples are “act your age” or “that style is too young for you.” 

Cultural ageism. These are negative messages about aging that are normalized in movies, literature, songs, jokes, news commentaries, advertisements and more. An example is a commercial showing an older man using his video-calling smartphone as if it were a voice-only telephone.

Let’s test some of our knowledge about older adults:

Q. Ageism typically is a U.S. problem.

False. According to a United Nations report on ageism, roughly one out of two people across the world is believed to hold ageist attitudes that lead to poor physical and mental health and reduced quality of life for older persons. 

Q. Ageism and age stereotypes are often internalized at a young age.

True. By age three, children are familiar with these stereotypes that are reinforced over their lifetime. There is now a curriculum for educators to dispel stereotypes of aging for school-age children, developed by the National Center to Reframe Aging.  

Q. Older adults are costing our economy too much money.

False. They support our economy. Data from 2018 indicates that 56 cents of every dollar was spent by the age 50 and older population. Furthermore, AARP reports this group has contributed $9 trillion to our economy and is projected to grow through 2050.

Q. Marketers and advertisers are allocating a significant amount of their budgets to target older consumers.

False. An estimated five to ten percent of marketing budgets are devoted to reaching adults aged 50 and older. When older adults do appear in advertisements, they often are presented in a negative light. 

Q. Older people who have a more positive self-perception of aging live 7.5 years longer than those with a less positive attitude.

True. Research from Becca Levy, Professor of Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, found that how you think about age can increase or decrease your lifespan by up to 7.5 years. This “surpasses the longevity gained from low blood pressure or low cholesterol or by maintaining a healthy weight or abstaining from smoking and exercising regularly” according to a report from Yale. 

Here are a few words and phrases you may read or hear that have ageist implications.  

• Referring to people in older adult communities as patients, they are residents, even in assisted living environments.  

• Description of all older adults as frail, weak and vulnerable.

• Referring to the growing demographic of older adults as the “silver tsunami,” “gray wave” or the “demographic cliff,” suggesting that older people are a natural disaster.  

• And then there is the word “still.”  Expressions of “still working,” or “still exercising,” suggesting that you are the exception since more adults cannot do what you are doing.  That’s a big assumption.   

Let’s take the time to increase our awareness of ageism and check our own beliefs and actions. At the same time, if you see or hear something, do something. That might be an email or letter to the media, a business, legislator or organization. It might be a conversation with a friend or relative. Here are some suggestions on how to respond provided by Changing the Narrative, a communication organization to end ageism. Happy Ageism Awareness Day!  Stay well and as a reminder, kindness is a universal language.

Helen Dennis is a nationally recognized leader on issues of aging and the new retirement with academic, corporate and nonprofit experience. Contact Helen with your questions and comments at Helendenn@gmail.com.  Visit Helen at HelenMdennis.com and follow her on facebook.com/SuccessfulAgingCommunity