The tendency of today’s youth-driven culture toward age discrimination is unprecedented. This ageism has a negative effect on society in general, and is especially harmful to women. The assumption is that as women age, their intrinsic value declines. The life skills and knowledge they collect over time is not an asset. Women are seen as less valuable, less marketable, and less visible. It is an interesting paradox: just when a woman truly becomes herself, and has so much more to offer, society deems her useless and old. She becomes invisible.
How did American culture develop such disdain for the elderly? The perception of age as a disease is a relatively recent phenomenon. A direct contribution is the media portrayal of aging in an unflattering light. The television commercial a few years back of an elderly woman who had fallen down and proclaimed, “Help, I can’t get up!” shows the negative impact television can have on our perceptions of the elderly. The commercial caused a barrage of jokes that are still heard today. That is just one example of the powerful impact mass media has on our culture.
Ageism not only affects the elderly, but can create unnecessary fear and dread of aging in young women. This in turn feeds the obsession to look young at all costs. The number of American women who undergo plastic surgery each year has risen dramatically. The search for perfection begins at an early age for these women. It is no longer considered a sign of beauty to be unique. The ideal of beauty has changed. In order to be considered beautiful, a young woman must have perfectly clear skin; perfectly white teeth; and perfectly highlighted hair. That is only the beginning of her worries. She must also possess a nearly unobtainable body type. The unreal expectations placed on young women can lead to serious health problems. The skyrocketing rate of anorexia among young women is attributed to this obsession with perfection. The physical appearance you possess is the most important element of success, or failure. What does that say about our society and the way we see one another? How can we really see at all? The true value of a woman, young or old, is more than skin deep. It takes time to become the person we are meant to be. Our society does not give us this time to bloom. We must be born perfect and stay perfect. We are no longer seen as desirable or useful when the facade starts to fade.
The profit-driven commercialism of youthful products aimed at women is responsible for the current wave of ageism in our country today. The demand for youth and beauty fosters competitiveness among women. We no longer harbor the spirit of sisterhood between younger and older women. It has become an “every woman for herself” society. This is a great loss for both age groups. We have the capacity to teach each other many important life lessons. The polarization and isolation of two equally important, but distinctly different groups of women leave society with a missing link in the chain of life. The seeds of self-doubt planted in our psyche is what keeps us searching for the next magic potion to stave off growing older, a gift we would be wiser to welcome with open eyes, and open minds. This is the real and lasting effect of ageism.
