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Sunday, May 12, 2024

Invisiblitiy, Ageism, & Women

 

This is a topic that I've been recently researching for myself.  At the end of this post I'll pin acknowledgements and links for all the resources I've used on this journey so that you have the complete articles available to read.   

How and why do people become "invisible" at a certain age and stage of life?  

And of course, personally, I thought my main point of interest on this topic was going to align with the internet, with social media, with writing and publishing, with producing videos and podcasts for YouTube, just basically being acknowledged and seen in this world of technology; but there's so many other places and ways to be invisible.  Scroll down and explore the possibilities.  It's time for people, especially women over a certain age, to stand up on their hind legs and howl.  Let's remind the world from whence they came.


Why do we become invisible as we age? [1]

One of the main reasons for this invisibility is ageism, which is the discrimination and prejudice against individuals based on their age. As women reach their fifties and beyond, they are often seen as less valuable and less capable than their younger counterparts.

What does it mean when you become invisible when you're old? [2]
  • For me, it has meant that people take little or no interest in you in conversations in group settings. It means that when you shop or go to restaurants, staff are more likely to ignore you or look past you. People act like you're in their way when you're doing exactly what they do. Next time you're in a store and an old person is being waited on, watch people in line behind them, especially if they take five seconds longer to do something than a younger person might. Look for all of the sighing, eye-rolling, etc. that goes on. You are treated as this annoying object and not a person and as if you shouldn't be out in the world like everyone else.
  • Well, it means being unseen and excluded from all conversations. As if you are not standing right there. There really is a sense of being invisible. This is by both genders. It means having a person look past my invisible self for someone more interesting. I didn’t feel this as the loss of the "male gaze" but more the severing of conversation with younger people. It is really odd.
*Note from Amythyst: 
I have absolutely noticed this, and unfortunately it has sometimes occurred in conversation with family and friends.  It's as though your voice is not heard.  I'm not ready to not be heard.  My advice would be to say, "Excuse me, I just wanted to say...".  Sometimes you just have to get their attention and raise your voice.  But it is most disconcerting in public, when people speak over you, or even worse yet, they address your adult child or someone younger who's accompanying you, as though you can't speak or wouldn't understand them.  Mind blowing! And I think, "Really?"

The invisibility war on older women: [3]
  • In a culture that tells us women are most attractive before they're even of legal drinking age, middle age brings complex messages.
  • While some women may delight in feeling removed from the "male gaze," others feel their sexiest and most authentic selves after menopause.
  • Instead of judging other women's sexual self-presentation, perhaps the real question is, "What is visibility, anyway?"
  • When we recognize people of any gender for the things they want to be recognized for, we are all more free.
*Note from Amythyst: 
I would have to say that there's more women who actually feel relieved to be removed from the "male gaze".  There's a lot of pressure in our society on younger women to be attractive, to keep their figure, to be well-coifed and made up at all times.  There's so much pressure on younger women to be beautiful and stay beautiful that I believe this illogical fear of aging is what drives them to the plastic surgeons to butcher their faces.

Invisibility in later life: [4]

The survey highlighted the discrepancies between how men and women are treated as they age...
  • Seven out of 10 (70%) believe that women become "invisible" as they get older, but only a third (32%) think the same applies to men.
  • Women start to become "invisible" at the age of 52, while men avoid this fate for more than a decade longer -- the average age highlighted for men was 64.
  • Nearly two-thirds (64%) believe that older women tend to be more invisible than men of the same age, putting the phenomenon down to society being obsessed with youth (62%), ageist (54%) and sexist (35%).
  • Nearly two-fifths (37%) said that younger people have patronised them as they have got older. And a quarter (23%) said that if they’re out with a younger person, people tend to talk to the younger person rather than them.
I'm 30, am I too old for instagram: [5]

*Note from Amythyst:  
Seriously?  I had to read this twice before it sunk in.  30???  If this person is wondering if they're too old for a social platform at 30, I don't know how they're going to feel when they hit 40, or 50, or 60.  Honey, you're just a baby standing on the threshold of the adult world.  Appreciate where you are and how far you've come, but realize that it's just a drop in the bucket.  You're just getting started, so appreciate where you're going.

Instagram is a social media platform that is used by individuals of all ages, not just specific age groups. While it is true that Instagram is popular among younger users, there are also many users who are over the age of 30 and even older who actively use the platform.

If you are over 30 and interested in using Instagram, there is absolutely no age limit or restriction that would prevent you from creating an account and using the platform. Many adults use Instagram to connect with friends and family, follow their interests, promote businesses, and engage with a broader community.

Whether you are too old for Instagram ultimately depends on your personal preferences and how you would like to use the platform. If you are interested in sharing photos, videos, and connecting with others online, Instagram can be a great platform for you to explore, regardless of your age.

Benefits of social media for seniors:  [6]
  • Helps in combatting isolation
  • Stay updated about the latest news
  • Reconnect with old friends
  • Social media can be educational and entertaining
  • Improves cognitive health
*Note from Amythyst:  
These are all very well and good reasons for older people to keep up with and use social media, but I am concerned that someone thinks these are the only possible reasons anyone considered a senior citzen would be on the internet.  What about those of us who are still working, still networking for promotional exposure and new business contacts?  What about people like me, authors, who are still writing and promoting books?  What about other people my age out there in a myriad of businesses that are using social media platforms for self-promotion and to further themselves in their line of work, as well as to keep abreast of new trends and stay relevant in their fields?  I find the gist of these benefits for seniors to be very type-casting, very sterotypical of how people think of anyone who is over a certain age.

The internet and social media use:  [7]

As of 2019, per Pew data, 72 percent of all adults in America used some sort of social media, including 69 percent of those age 50 to 64, and 40 percent of people age 65 and older. The researchers found that the most popular social media channels for older Americans were:
  • YouTube: used by 70% of those 50 to 64, and 38% of those 65 and older
  • Facebook: used by 68% of those 50 to 64, and 46% of those 65 and older
  • Pinterest: used by 27% of those 50 to 64, and 15% of those 65 and older
  • Instagram: used by 24% of those 50 to 64, and 8% of those 65 and older
*Note from Amythyst:  
I'm on ALL of these social media platforms, and I'm posting links to my pages/profiles.  I don't think my use of these networks would be in the way society would view most 66 year old women, or in the ways and whys that have been listed in the previous material above (number [6]).  The sad fact about this is that although I maintain blogs and websites on a number of platforms, I still feel totally invisible on the internet.  There is no interaction on some of these sites, and almost no interaction on others, including this blog.  I feel like a marble rolling around in an empty bureau drawer.  It's as though my pages, posts, and blogs are not being seen by anyone.  So, is it because of my age, or is it because of the algorithms, or is it both?
Ageism in Hollywood:  [8]

"It's like you go from sexy to Depends," Brooke Shields told NPR earlier this year. "And there's this whole margin in the middle that ... are vibrant." The Boxed In study has some data to back that up.

"At about the age of 40, female characters begin to disappear in substantial numbers from both broadcast and streaming programs," the report concludes. "On broadcast programs, the percentage of major female characters plummeted from 42% in their 30s to 15% in their 40s. Similarly, on streaming programs the percentage of major females dropped from 33% in their 30s to 14% in their 40s."

Over 60? You're probably not seeing yourself represented much at all on screen, despite the fact that the U.S. population is aging.  Women 60 and over continue to be dramatically under-represented. Women comprised just 3% of major female characters 60 and over on broadcast programs and 3% on streaming programs.

"The absence of older women on screen is such a dated gender stereotype that I'm always surprised to see that it remains in both television and film," said Dr. Martha Lauzen, professor and executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University. In an email to NPR, Lauzen added that the age disparity "has been consistent" since she started conducting the studies over 20 years ago.

Age discrimination and sterotyping in fashion: [9]

The concept of anti-ageing remains a persistent and influential beauty standard. When discussing inclusivity in fashion, older people are often left out of the conversation. According to Lixia Yang, a psychology professor who specializes in ageing and culture, the retention of a useful appearance is desirable because it symbolises a period for pursuing dreams and future-planning. This prevailing belief often dictates that once someone reaches a certain age, they should limit their fashion choices to subdued colors, adopt flattering [age appropriate] styles, and opt for conservative clothing. Ageing is frequently depicted in a negative light, especially in industries where appearance plays a significant role.

Ageism in the beauty industry: [10]

To promote their anti-aging products, many brands use young models, or gratuitously airbrush or photoshop their models, to give consumers the idea that their products made the model look that good (hello, false advertising).

Ageism is a form of discrimination that is especially prevalent in the beauty industry. Age discrimination can take many forms in one's professional and social life, especially for women. The term “anti-aging” first emerged in the 80s, presenting the aging process as a negative transition to be avoided at all costs.

Ageism and medical care:  [11]

Unfortunately, as with many other areas of life, ageism is present in medical care. Age bias shows up in the way that health care providers talk to their patients, the degree to which they listen, the range of diagnostic tests they offer and the scope of treatments they are willing to make available.

A common form of ageism is “elderspeak.” Nurses, doctors, and support staff may address older patients as “honey,” “dear” or “young lady”; limit the vocabulary they use and dumb down explanations; or even use a sing-song voice, as when soothing an infant. This type of communication is not only embarrassing, but it is patronizing and can be isolating. Patients with poor hearing or eyesight say they are often treated as cognitively impaired. Some older adults find that treatable conditions -- such as chronic pain, arthritis and neuropathy -- are dismissed as a feature of old age.

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