Aging Stereotypes

Stereotypes exist for all age groups. The elderly in particular seem to have more negative than positive stereotypes associated with them. Although I try not to, I can plead guilty for negatively stereotyping elders. Ultimately, they deserve a special place in society where they are truly appreciated and respected for their age acquired wisdom and experiences. The media and society in general has heavily influenced our views in the aging process.

Many movies portray older people either as mean, smelly, grouches like in Dennis the Menace or excessively fat such as Big Momma's House and Mrs. Doubtfire. When I was younger, I believed seniors were stricter than my parents. Whenever I was in the vicinity of an elder, I made sure I was on my best behavior because I really thought they'd lose their patience and just snap at me. I remember I smiled at an old man when I was little but he just sat in his wheel chair looking grumpy. It must have been since then I've formulated various stereotypes leading to old people being mad at the world.

Stereotypes are true to an extent and are mainly just generalizations about a group. When I was younger I tried not to play with my friends loudly around seniors because I saw them as impatient people who couldn't tolerate loud noises. As we age we do lose tolerance to loud sounds but as for impatience, they have been around a lot longer and probably cannot fathom why it takes everyone else a little more time to understand.

I think they have learned what works and doesn't work for them so when something is changed they feel aggravated. My grandma is 86 years old and has been on the same meal schedule for years. Breakfast at 8am, lunch at noon, and dinner at 6pm. If any of her meal times are off schedule, she gets annoyed and it ends up throwing off her whole day!

One of the biggest stereotypes of all are the elderly being bad drivers. When I was first learning to drive and was behind someone slow, I automatically assumed it was someone old behind the wheel. Now I respect the fact that since they're older and have slower reaction times, seniors just have to drive at whatever speed they feel the most comfortable. Making the road safe for them and other drivers.

I hope we can all surpass these stereotypes and truly appreciate our elders for the wonderful people they are with all they have to offer with their knowledge and experiences.