50plus and the dangers of deindividualisation

Germany's population is getting older and older. Age is increasingly seen as a flaw in our society. From the age of 61, people in Germany are considered old. People aged 50 and over are all too readily categorised as belonging to the one, THE 50plus target group.

People over 50 are often confronted with prejudice, exclusion and stereotyping. The mechanisms used to de-individualise and devalue this age group are reminiscent of patterns that can be observed in racism, for example.

The de-individualisation of the ‘elderly’

A central aspect of racism is de-individualisation. People are no longer perceived as individuals based on external characteristics or their origin, but as part of a homogeneous group with supposedly negative characteristics. Something similar happens with the chronological age of THE 50-plus target group. Men and women are labelled as ‘old people’. They appear to be slow, backward, inflexible and no longer able to perform.

The ‘50minus’ people are different. Customer group 50minus, never heard of it?

No wonder, nobody does that kind of nonsense. Baby and father in a group... nonsense. But we can group ‘children’ aged 50 together with their eighty-year-old parents in one target group... right?

In the world of work, people over 50 experience that they are hardly offered any further training programmes because they are no longer considered capable of learning. At the same time, they are accused of blocking progress. That said... Managing directors and board members regularly end up on supervisory and advisory boards - even though they are over the traditional working age - or are successful consultants. Even in the context of work, not all old people are the same.

In the study ‘Ageism - images of age and age discrimination in Germany’, 53% of respondents rejected the statement that older people make a decisive contribution to the progress of our society.

Those who belong to this 50-plus age group automatically have ‘old’ interests, an ‘old-fashioned’ way of thinking and little technical understanding. The diversity within this age group is misjudged.

This makes it clear that this is less about individual skills and more about a generalised devaluation. Similar to racial discrimination, ageism is also based on irrational, socially anchored thought patterns.

Techno-ageism

The ageing of society brings with it many challenges. One of these is support in the use of digital technologies.

Although there is reason for optimism, digitalisation is still lagging behind its potential. This is mainly because some older people are not yet as adept at using digital devices and services. As digital immigrants, unlike digital natives, they only started using digital technologies in adulthood. This makes it more difficult, but not impossible, for them to familiarise themselves with the rapidly changing technology. Digital skills are not only required from the providers, but also from the users, because only those who are ‘in’ will remain part of society.

But not all people over 50 have to struggle in the digital space.

Many are technologically savvy, usually through their job, and are actively involved in shaping new developments. Nevertheless, the generalised image of older people being overburdened by technology persists. This has concrete consequences.

Companies focus their innovations almost exclusively on younger target groups. Health insurance companies and public administration are increasingly focussing on digital processes without explaining these innovations. ‘Try and error’ at the expense of digital immigrants.

Blaming them across the board is wrong and won't help. Neither will enlarging the buttons on their mobile phones. Both only reinforce tech-ageism.

The best way to acquire digital skills is to learn from and with like-minded people. These kinds of programmes are not promoted and offered enough

The Media, language and the role of society

Generalised images of old age are also commonplace in the media and in advertising. Older people are either portrayed as frail and in need of help or as unrealistically fit and overly active. The real complexity remains unconsidered.

Even if terms such as ‘silver agers’, ‘best agers’ or ‘pensioners’ sound more benevolent than ‘foreigners’ or ‘migrants’, they implicitly assume that people belong to a different population group, the elderly. Age discrimination is more subtle, but no less harmful.

Here it becomes clear that language and images are powerful instruments of perception. They are often used deliberately to reduce groups to certain roles. These illustrations, such as the grey-haired couple in beige jackets on the park bench, not only shape our perception, but also serve as training data for artificial intelligence. It is therefore not surprising that AI also has ageist tendencies. The WHO pointed out the risk of ageism through artificial intelligence in medicine and public health as early as 2022.

The consequences of de-individualisation

The progressive de-individualisation caused by the definition of the 50-plus target group has serious consequences. Socially, it leads to a division between ‘young’ and ‘old’. Older people are perceived as a burden rather than an asset.

Psychologically, it means that many people in their late 40s feel that they are ‘no longer relevant’. This can lead to insecurity, declining self-esteem and even depression. Studies show that social isolation and a lack of social esteem have considerable health consequences.

In economic terms, the de-individualisation of older people means a waste of knowledge, experience and innovative strength. Instead of utilising the potential of this generation, they are systematically excluded from decision-making processes. A development that also harms the younger generations.

A rethink is needed to stop this development. Society, business, politics and each and every one of us must take a stand against age discrimination, just as we do with other forms of discrimination.