Why it's vital we fight prejudices about the elderly once and for all

“I hope I die before I get old,” sang The Who‘s Roger Daltrey in the 1965 hit single My Generation, which gave voice to the frustrations of a youth yearning for liberation from their fusty elders. Daltrey’s wish didn’t come true – he is now 80 and presumably hoping to die when he is even older. But while many societal views have changed dramatically for the better since 1965, negative views of ageing that were acceptable then are largely still acceptable today.

Ageism is arguably the last widespread prejudice in Western societies. According to another group called the WHO – the World Health Organization – about half of people globally hold negative views of the elderly, including many older people themselves. It is an irrational prejudice, not least because it is based on lazy stereotypes, but also because the elderly are the one marginalised group we will all eventually join, if we are lucky enough.

It is self-defeating too. As we report in our feature (“How overcoming negative attitudes to ageing can make you live longer“), ageism doesn’t just make young people look down on their elders, it also causes the elderly to look down on themselves, narrowing their horizons and exacerbating illnesses that can come with advancing years. There is even evidence that younger people who are ageist are setting themselves up for poorer health when they themselves are older.

Huge efforts have gone into ensuring that prejudices based on ethnicity, gender, sexuality, physical and mental capacity, body shape, nationality and more are unacceptable. There is still a way to go on all of these. But progress since the days of My Generation has made our societies richer, more tolerant, more diverse and more creative. Eradicating ageism would multiply these gains and, as it turns out, make us collectively healthier too.

There are many pioneering organisations trying to address the scourge of ageism, and all power to them. Daltrey himself is now an anti-ageism campaigner, having seemingly changed his tune when it comes to statements about the elderly. That’s a campaign we should all be behind – no matter our age.