Examples Of Ageism: A Bystander's Viewpoint

Ageism: A Bystander’s Viewpoint

Discrimination. We’ve all seen it. Some of us have experienced it. Unfortunately, the understanding many people have of discrimination is ever so slightly skewed. While the public’s definition of discrimination is as follows “The unjust treatment of individuals based on race or gender”, the dictionary definition is not quite the same. “Noun; the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex.”

There is a difference. While the single word “age” may not seem that important to many, it is to me. While politics often overlooks matters like this, favoring instead clear-cut examples of discrimination (eg. racism and sexism) there are other

In only the first few seconds of reading this paper, many readers will find it biased. Why? Because I am a teen and I am asking to be noticed. Yet these dismissive feelings are often where the problem of ageism comes from. For example, the two most noticed forms of discrimination are recognized as women’s rights and the rights of people of color. When people of color were in need of assistance it was because they had no say in how they were treated. They could not vote. When women were(/are) oppressed it is because they are not given a say in how they are treated. They were not allowed to vote. And now, youngsters who are capable of making healthy decisions are excluded from the process in which their lives are structured. While I do not ask that we are recognized as full members of the United States, I would ask that we were given a little bit of a say in the programs that are specifically structured for us minors (eg. school, clubs, other extracurricular activities, within the household, etc…

Very few people found physical planners useful. Yet several took the initiative to begin the use of an electronic planner. I was one of those students. The planner I found was particularly useful as I could sync it with a number of other devices. This planner helped my academic grade immensely, however, cell phones are a recurring issue among school administrators. At the time, the rule was that electronics could not be used for “non-educational” purposes, however, our teacher liked to play cribbage and fun games on the computer while we slaved away at our school work. This created a unique double standard. During study hall, I felt the need to double check the specifics of a handful of assignments. I pulled out my phone, scrolled to the planner, and BAM! The paraprofessional teaching the class was nearly on top of me. “Put your phone away!” his exact