To ask if this is a type of comment only made to people a lot younger

[Finebeing777]

A colleague was unable to hear me and said sorry I can’t hear you maybe it’s my age.Aibu to think this is only something you would say to someone a lot younger not someone close in age.

You are really overthinking this

It's a joke at their own expense. If we were matey I'd either reply "yeah probably grandpa!" or "don't, we'll be needing zimmer frames next" depending on closeness in age.

Not sure why it matters. But I think people might say that regardless of the age of the person they were speaking to.

No - not at all.

I am partially deaf and say it to pretty much everyone I hate wearing my hearing aids

I say this to anyone I can't understand i.e. if they've got a thick accent or don't enunciate clearly. It saves me feeling embarrassed when I have to ask them to repeat themselves. I am quite old so can get away with it.

Probably a polite way of saying ‘speak up you’re mumbling’.

^^ this - exactly.

They are talking about thier own hearing, how is that in any way related to the other person in the conversation?

OP are you somehow feeling offended ?

I say it a lot, but it's because my hearing is deteriorating and not because young people speak quietly.

Are you seriously offended by this? Fuck me!

Hopefully, your conversation is a little more interesting in real life.

I said it to the dentist yesterday and she said people always say I speak too quiet. She is probably 30 years younger, but if I can't hear I can't HEAR age it irrelevant

Anyone of any age would say this to anyone of any age

It’s nicer than saying ‘speak up and stop fucking mumbling/I can’t understand your accent/I wasn’t listening to you droning…’

Also if it’s a colleague they probably don’t know or give a shit about your age. I can’t remember who is younger/older than me unless there is a significant gap either way.

I am similar with eyesight. I wear varifocals as a result of getting older, and sometimes need to do the whole "getting my head at the right angle" thing. If that's at work, I might say "Hang on, let the old lady get her head in the right place! " or similar. It's about me, not them.

It’s nicer than saying ‘speak up and stop fucking mumbling/I can’t understand your accent/I wasn’t listening to you droning…’
Agreed. It's a self-deprecating joke that people can get away with once they hit a certain age.
Everyone too young to pull the joke off is stuck judging whether they need to say "pardon" for a third time or just smile and nod.

I do it all the time. Today I was in the local Spar buying a Lotto ticket and the girl was looking at her till screen and said 'Is is Saturday today?'. I replied 'I hope so, it was when I got up. Mind you at my age I have to keep checking', and we both tittered. I'm 71 and she is about 19.

I don't understand your pecieved link to the age of the other person, in this case you. Your age has no significance on how well your colleague can hear, but her age does. If you're middle aged a certain amount of hearing loss is normal. If your colleague was 30 I'd think it was a bit odd but if she's 40+ l wouldn't give it a 2nd thought.

Snowflake alert ❄️.

Geta grip OP.

Are you trying to be offended because you don't like older people?

People who are 40+ constantly remind themselves they are older because they still feel like they're 20+

This. Or if they have a strong accent

What an odd interpretation.

Your colleague didn’t hear what you said and is making a self-deprecating comment about it. You could be older or younger and it would still be fine.

It's just plain old normal everyday mild self-deprecation, intended to make other people relaxed. Perhaps the OP has issues understanding interpersonal skills?

In my experience the people who say 'I'd forget my own head if it wasn't screwed on!' or 'I must be going ga-ga' are very often as sharp as a tack.