Ageism.

[WhatsUpNowThen]

It's awful, on Mumsnet. Do these posters think they will never be 60?

I have to admit that I'm not too pleased about it. But turning 60 does not change my views on anything at all. I think the same things as I did when I was 30 Why do the younger generation hate us so much?

I'm on their side.

I actually have encountered alot of ageism the other way. I'm in my late 30's now, it isn't as bad as it once was. Comments like "supermarkets in nightwear" show how it goes the other way too. The comments made here demonstrate the contempt from the poster, who is clearly stereotyping all young people. I hope when I am older I would have the decency, and wisdom, not to make sweeping generalisations.

I have had older people talk to me disrespectfully, treat me like I'm stupid, and in a way they would never do to older people. I am a Mother, educated and respectful, nice to people. I have found it depends on the person. There are some lovely, and absolutely amazing older people, but when I was in my 20s, working in retail while at uni, some have reduced me to tears.

Life is difficult, no matter how hard young people work, they can't get onto the housing ladder. In the 90s my dad supported a family of 4 on one lower than average wage, bought a house, car etc, and we had a decent lifestyle. Now this is impossible, even with two wages much of the time. There has always been hardships in life such as poll tax etc, but not getting mortgages no matter how hard people work, is horrendous. I was lucky that I got on the housing ladder a few years ago, in the nick of time.

Give young people a break, the world is tough!

@Shakeoffyourchains

'I've noticed that older people seem to find it very hard to distinguish between broad generalisations and personal attacks on them as individuals.I've noticed that older people seem to find it very hard to distinguish between broad generalisations and personal attacks on them as individuals. E.g., stating that older people are more likely to have voted for the tories or brexit isn't a suggestion that you personally did but is factually true of the generation. I've also noticed that ageism is only ageism if directed at older people, contempt and disrespect of younger people and their views is just stating home truths apparently. Someone up thread stated stated that the young are learning their contemptuous attitude from somewhere and I'd suggest looking in a mirror.'

The irony...

Your post is full of generalisations, not 'facts' as you call them, and blanket contempt for older people.

That is not the way to have a constructive discussion or to make your argument stand out.

That’s great. I do think PP has a point though that older people take some points really personally even if it doesn’t apply to them. An example being that my observation in my absolute personal, individual experiences of driving, is that i’ve had the most near misses due elderly drivers. However, many people would count me stating that as being ageist.

No sorry, i agree with the PP. When i was young and starting out in work, i definitely still remember cases of older superiors speaking to me and other younger colleagues in a disgusting way that they wouldn’t have done and didn’t to my colleagues in their 40s for example. The ageism and poor behaviour most definitely goes both ways.

This was a tongue-in-cheek response. The OP ended with a plaintive 'why do they hate us?'. I doubt she meant that in a serious way. My responses were the generalisations and comments heard/seen both here and IRL. But do you seriously think I would write in the way I did as a serious post? If you did, you need to reappraise how you interpret things, because someday such misinterpretation will be an issue.
Indeed, you are proving the 'people get offended at everything' trope

For christ's sake, of course it works both ways, but the OP was pointing out the ageism and asked why old people are hated here

Sometimes, this place is such hard work

Your second paragraph is EXACTLY my experience as well.

Look, everyone is hated on MN lol. Not just older people. People of every other age group too. Just in the same way that you’re hated if you’re a SAHM or if you to to work and send your kid to nursery before the age of 3.

In my opinion there is rampant ageism in both directions. My theory is that it stems from a lack of intergenerational relationships.

Quite honestly, you sound very angry. I don't know you, therefore I have absolutely no idea what you do, and don't mean. You didn't make any reference to what you say as being in jest, and your detailed list of blanket statements certainly do not sound light hearted, quite honestly.
Again, I do not know you, and it isn't unreasonable to read the comments you made, as being your opinion on young people as a collective.

It is also ironic that you say people get offended at everything, when clearly, you yourself are offended. This very thread is about different generations getting offended. 😂

If you say so, @WINGINGitToday

I see agism going both ways on here.

I also see a nasty attitude to disability or SEN but this isn't just on here it's fucking everywhere all the time.

People seem to be in competition to have it the worst, to suffer the worse abuse or insult or the 'ism' that would be relevant to them. While at the same time having no respect and being derogatory towards another group of people who are different to them.

We all need to do better. We will all be old one day and most of us have family members who are young. Anyone of us could have a child with SEN or anyone could become disabled. Most of us are women. Many of us are minority ethnicity or religion. Unless you are a white healthy middle class man you will tick at least one box on things you are discriminated on. Its just sad how things are really. We have always known these groups of people suffer, we have been aware for years we should not be horrible with our words and actions to these people. But so many of us still are.

There's no irony in my post, it was quite deliberate and was just mirroring the tone and content of the poster I had quoted.

But I see you're quite happy to ignore the ageist generalisations directed at young people, including the one in post I quoted, so thanks for proving my point so quickly.

And the only fact I referred to is that older people were more likely to vote for tories and brexit, which is entirely accurate and backed up by data.

Young women are anti-older women on here and I don't know why - they should be trying to bring down the patriarchy not support it. You don't see forum after forum of young men making ageist comments about older men - they have better things to do.

I personally don't dislike the 'elder generation' I just don't like the entitlement from some of the 'elder generation ' I'm 27 so consider myself fairly young, I have 3 young children and I teach them all to respect your elders which they do however doesn't stop some of them looking at me like I'm a piece of shit.
I don't think its all about age personality is a huge factor.
If your a dickhead your just a dickhead in my eyes.
Regardless of age.

Older women are anti younger women equally wouldn't you say?

What was your attitude towards people in their sixties and older when you were in your 20s/30s?

Some are but less so compared to the other way round.

I wonder if it is jealousy, some older people jealous of youth, some younger people jealous of the older generation having houses, and alot more money than they ever will, due to the world we now live in.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10669425/No-wonder-young-despise-lazy-selfish-generation-writes-JENNI-MURRAY.html

Younger people have always thought the previous generation was past it and older people have always thought younger people are clueless.
We seem to all lack respect for things we don’t understand or disagree with.
Social media brings together communities that ‘never the twain will meet’

I think alot of it today is to do with money, I really do. The world has changed so much, and for the worst. Young people don't need to hear from their granny (who got an 100% mortage), "if you work hard like we did you'll be able to buy a house," they need understanding. People are working themselves into the ground, and for what? I love my children dearly, but I often wonder what world I have brought them into. I am relieved they're very young, and hoping things will dramatically change.

I feel sorry for the generation below me, they have it tough, living through covid and everything else. I am relieved to be a millennial, and feel lucky.

My grandparents would pull me up on it if I ever said anything ageist when I was a kid, and I think got me into good habits.

I’ve definitely noticed more ageism towards younger posters than towards older posters.

But I’ve noticed more older posters complaining about ageism than younger posters.

I personally would prefer there to be no judgement either way depending on age.

I am mid sixties and have not noticed any ageism. In fact, one poster accused me of ageism lol. I just posted that some men in their sixties are slowing down in pace compared to a man in his forties. My son is mid forties , so I can compare. My daughter is in her twenties and her friends are lovely, very friendly and my neighbour a young woman is a good friend.

Absolutely. Equal ageism about teens and young people too.

I've come across patchy instances of what I would call casual racism from the older generation. That doesn't mean I am accusing anyone on here of it at all.

I've heard things like "I feel a minority in my own town", "fedup of hearing all this foreign chat out and about", things like that. I think those cases are borne of ignorance and not wanting to move with the times, taking on board views spouted in the Daily Mail and things like that.

Unfortunately this sometimes means that all people over 60 are likened to these bad apples and called Brexiteers for example and that is not fair. There will also be people under 30 with those views, as we have also seen in the press.