Photo by Nathan Fertig on Unsplash.
An article titled, “Why elderly people have trouble with technology.” Or a cartoon line, “No worries about sharing a secret with your old friends: they won’t remember it either.” Or an ad, “So simple even your grandma could do it.”
I write a comment, “This article [or cartoon or ad[ is ageist.”
The author writes back, “Come on, get a life.” Or, “I have a lot of elderly clients like this.” Or, “A bad memory is just part of getting older; why not laugh about it?”
Here’s why.
I answer: Suppose someone is 60, 70, or even 80. They are applying for a job. Or inviting a client to hire them. Would you want that employer or this client to see this article before the interview or phone call?
Psychologists talk about priming, “a phenomenon in which exposure to one stimulus influences how a person responds to a subsequent, related stimulus.”
Stimulus 1: That article, cartoon or ad.
Stimulus 2: Somene’s in front of you applying for a job. You’re a freelancer or job applicant.
How does your exposure to Stimulus 1 lead to your reaction to Stimulus 2?
That should be the test. If you don’t want an employer (or freelance client) to be influenced by that article, it’s ageist.
Priming works subtly.
You can’t predict the hiring manager or client will ignore it. They won’t. In studies where women read articles about how women suck at math, they score lower on math tests. Deliberately? I don’t think so.
People learn stereotypes from these articles. If you’re above a certain age, for instance, they assume you can’t do tech.
My client sees an ad, ‘Even your grandma could do it.”
Then she sees me. I’m not a grandma but she doesn’t know that.
I don’t want a prospective client wondering if I know the basics of web design, QR codes, podcasting, email, AI, and other elements of the Internet world. I don’t want them wondering if they’ll have to slow down for me when they explain something. If I forget something I want them to realize it’s because I have too many projects going on…not because I’ve been around too long.
But you might say, “All the people I know who are 60 (or 70 or 80) have this problem so it’s not ageist.”
And I would say, “You need new friends. All the people I know who are over 60 – even in their 80s – are perfectly capable of sending emails, sending messages, using QR codes and calling an Uber. Some have videos, podcasts, websites and more.”
It’s not about age.
It’s about a combination of luck and education. Why not call your article, “Why technology can be a struggle,” not “Why older people struggle with technology.” Because it’s true: I know 30 year olds who are Luddites and 70 year olds who have podcasts.
This approach forces you to focus on the real point you want to make.
“So simple your grandma could do it?” What are you saying – that older people are stupid? That there’s some mental defect that overtakes people when their child has a child? That everyone over 50 is a grandma – and loves it? How about “So simple you don’t need a techie to do it?” or “So simple you could learn it in a week.”
When I see a reference to age in an article, I ask myself if I’d want to share that article with a prospective client. And sadly almost always the answer is “No, I hope they never see it. And I hope nobody else does either.”
