Think Only Older People Face Ageism??? Think Again
I used to think ageism only occurred with older people. I was wrong. Ageism can happen at any age and to anyone. Young people experience it to, and its often brushed of as “just part of growing up.” Whether you were told “you’re to young to understand,” denied leadership roles, or labeled as lazy or entitled, young people constantly face stereotypes that undermine their abilities.
Ageism is defined as “a system of oppression that includes stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination due to age and operates across interpersonal, cultural, and institutional levels(World Health Organization 2021).” Okay, but what does that actually mean? To sum up the definition, ageism isn’t just meaningless comments or jokes. It’s a whole system that influences how people think, act, and make decisions about others based on age.
All of this might sound abstract, but you don’t have to look far to see it happening in real life. Ageism toward young people shows up in classrooms, workplaces, and even online. Maybe you’ve been in a group project where your ideas were ignored because” the older students know better.” Or maybe you’ve worked a job where your boss constantly double checks your work, assuming you’ll mess up because you’re “new” or “too young to know how things work.” Social media plays a role is ageism as many young people want to be influencers, which older people assume is easy. Therefore, saying “younger people nowadays are so lazy” or “young people these days don’t want to work.”
Why would we want to work when we have people praying on our downfall? Its subtle moments like those that add up. They send a message that being young means being less capable, less trustworthy, and less deserving of respect. That is exactly what keeps ageism against young people alive.
Steven Petrow points out Ageism is often viewed as discrimination targeting older individuals, yet millennials (born 1981–1996) and Gen Zers (born 1997–2012) argue that they also face bias sometimes referred to as “reverse ageism” or “youngism” due to their youth.
Micheal North, an associate professor of management and organizations at NYU’s Stern School of Business, believes that adults between 18 and 30 experience more age-based discrimination than older generations, particularly baby boomers. He attributes this is a common stereotype that young people today fail to meet the work ethic or standards set by earlier generations at the same age. North also points out the irony that millennials and Gen Z are often labeled as lazy, entitled, and naive by boomers, when their own youth were criticized as idle, self-righteous, and impressionable hippies.
These stereotypes don’t just hurt feeling; they have real consequences. When young people are constantly seen as “unreliable”, it affects how seriously they’re taken in workplaces and in schools. In job interviews, a younger candidate might be passed over for a role because the employer assumes they lack experience, even if they have the skills. And when it comes down to leadership or decision making, young voices are often left out entirely, as they haven’t “earned” the right to be heard yet.
All of this can chip away at confidence and motivation. It sends the message that no matter how hard you work, your age makes you less credible. That’s a message no one deserves to hear. We can control our age, yet it affects us so much in everyday life.
Some people argue that ageism toward young people isn’t a real problem or that its not worth arguing about. The claim that being told you’re “too young” is all a part of a learning experience. From their perspective, being overlooked is a part of learning how to navigate adulthood. They argue that older generations aren’t being biased, but rather cautious or trying to teach responsibility.
According to a 2019 survey by Glassdoor, younger workers are actually more likely to face ageism in the workplace than their older counterparts. Over half of employees aged 18 to 34 said they had witnessed or personally experienced age-based discrimination, compared to just 39 percent of workers aged 55 and older. Likewise, research published in Developmental Psychology found that younger individuals reported the highest levels of age-related bias, often being shown less respect or treated unfairly simply because of their age.
These finding highlight something many young people already know from experience, ageism isn’t just an occasional comment it’s a pattern that shapes how young people are treated. When younger works consistently face doubt or unfair assumptions about their abilities, it can affect their confidence. How would you feel if you were judged based off your age? Something might I add that you can’t even control. Being capable but constantly underestimated sends a clear message thar age matters more than what you have to offer. And when this attitude becomes normalized in schools, workplaces, and society as a whole, it reinforces the idea that young people must prove themselves twice as hard just to be taken seriously.
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