Why should you care about age stereotypes?

♦  In Australia 33% of people over 50 experience work and job related age discrimination. And 20% of people across all ages face discrimination due to their age.  Entrenched stereotypes and prejudices are to blame. 

♦  The damage caused by age discrimination at 20 or 60 to people’s wellbeing, physical and mental health, financial stability and careers is horrendous.   It impacts both women and men either directly or indirectly at some point.

♦  It’s time to absolutely knock the nonsense out of stereotypes as they are illogical and unfounded.  It’s fantasy land to assume that every person of a generation fits a homogenous box of skills, behaviours, lifestyles and appearances. 

♦  And it’s these assumptions that need challenging in the most powerful and visual way.  Employers, advertisers, marketers and media all fuel the stereotypes of what and who people are and we need to do something to flip the switch.

♦  Images are critical to demonstrate just how different people are within a generation and age range.  Physical appearances, skills, competencies, passions, lifestyle, dress styles are all very individual.  We must develop a society with an open mind and deep curiosity who refuses to follow the lazy stereotype tropes.