Why are more than a third of Brits ageist?

More than a third of Britons have admitted to ageist behaviour in a new study.

The research, by SunLife, which surveyed 4,000 UK adults, found that 40% of people over 50 regularly experience ageism. One in three commonly experience it at work, one in ten on public transport and one in seven while shopping.

The Guardian reports that more than one in 30 people owned up to “regularly” discriminating against anyone aged over 50 – and more than one in ten confessed that they didn’t know if they are ageist.

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People in their 30s are most likely to use ageist language, with almost half admitting to having been ageist at some point. More than half of the over-50s surveyed believe that ageist language is unintentional, a majority say it has made them feel less valued (68%), unhappy (60%) and alienated (52%).

“‘Old fart’, ‘little old lady’, ‘bitter old man’ and ‘old hag’ were, researchers found, the most used ageist phrases on social media. Other common terms included ‘ladies/gentleman of a certain age’”, reported The Guardian.

Southhampton was found to be the most ageist city in the UK, with 46% of locals saying they had discriminated against someone on the basis of their age. Bristol was at the other end of the spectrum, with just 20% admitting ageism.

Celebrity mathematician Carol Vorderman, who worked on the research, said ageism is “one of the final taboos to smash through”.

The broadcaster said: “The report shows that we’re bombarded with phrases and behaviours which imply that life after 50 must be awful and that it’s ‘downhill all the way’. That just isn’t true, but this nonsensical school of thought will continue unless we raise the profile of the impact this type of language can have.”

The 58-year-old said that life after 50 “is a great kind of different”, adding: “It can be the best time of all: less stressful, less competitive, freer, happier, more joyful. Life at any age is there to embrace, so it’s time we stopped using ageist language, intentional or not.”

Emma Twyning, of the Centre for Ageing Better, said ageism is encouraged by the media, saying “subtle but damaging messages are everywhere, from the TV shows we watch featuring ‘doddery but dear’ characters and the ‘anti-ageing’ face creams we buy, to the constant media reports about the ‘burden’ of our ageing population”.

She added: “The evidence suggests that this ageist societal narrative negatively impacts on our personal experiences of ageing and perhaps even our health and wellbeing.”