The US has an aging population like the rest of the world, and it is projected to rise. Between 2000 and
2050, the number of older people is projected to increase by 135% (Wiener a& Tilly, 2002).
((((((((((( Even though American society is an aging society, the emphasis is more on the youth. There
seems to be a bias when it comes to the elderly population. Previously people who were old and
experienced were valued and hired for jobs but now more youths with less experience get hired for the
same job. People seem to worry about getting old or fear the inevitable; death and try to delay the
process, there is an obsession with beauty and people seek different means to stay young and plastic
surgeons are sought after by people and they are willing to spend money on cosmetic procedures and
other aesthetic procedures to look young.(The obsession to stay young could be the result of changes in
the political, social, and economic environment and it has changed people’s perceptions about aging
(Berger, 2017).
(People are influenced by media and celebrities and advertisements of anti-aging products also
influence people and how they are perceived by others. More and more people want to look young and
delay aging.
The elderly need to be valued and considered an integral part of society and the negative perceptions of
the people need to change.
(
(
References
Berger, R. (2017) Aging in America: Ageism and General Attitudes toward Growing Old and the
Elderly.(Open Journal of Social Sciences,5,183-198.doi:10.4236/jss.2017.58015
.
Wiener, J.M., & Tilly, J. Population aging in the United States of America: implications for public
programmes.(International Journal of Epidemiology,31(4),776–781.
https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/31.4.776
