Stereotypes Of Elderly Essays - Gerontology, Ageing, Stereotypes

Stereotypes Of Elderly The baby boomers cohort is soon approaching the last third of their lives while they try to disentangle the many stereotypes the elderly encounters today. The baby boomers are now beginning to attain a new vantage point about getting old. This is the first approaching age cohort in American society that is trying to make a difference with being able to accept the concept of growing old as the true so-called "golden years." The baby boom generation grew up primarily in the hippies decade which contributed to the vast majority of people to first become in American society freewill, liberal, independent individuals. Presently in society today the once "hippies" that rejected the advice of anyone over 30 are now beginning to educate themselves about what their future beholds as they begin to reach the last third of their lives. They want to focus on the reality of getting old not just the negative stereotypes society has created towards the elderly. In the American society we have created such negativism towards the elderly. The article points out that by time the tender age of only 6 years old we have created negative stereotypes about aging and we also develop stereotypes about races and gender at this same time. We feel in the American society almost as if it is a sin or even lack of a human being if we show signs of aging. The article discusses from the 1960s to the 1980s, the number of wrinkle removing face-lifts rose from 60,000 to an estimated 2 million a year at an annual cost of $10 billion. Due to this drastic increase pertaining to rejuvenation we should all become plastic surgeons. A diverse amount of experts are trying to change the way society views and deals with growing old. They have adopted the concept of "conscious aging." This new concept basically means trying to accept what aging actually is, and trying to view it as a new point of life- a "new window." Also, not concentrating on the inevitable primary aging characteristics is an essential way to live and cope with being old. If the elderly can learn to educate themselves about the process of aging, and not pinpoint it to just a change that they individually encounter alone, then they could possibly realize this happens to us all at one point in life. Therefore, we may not have such negative feelings about becoming old or even being old. If society can learn to obtain these attitudes towards being old maybe it will even become a self fulfilling prophecy as viewing the elderly from a new positive perspective.