Dementia, Depression, Unattractive, Selfish. Younger People's Stereotypical Perceptions of Older People

According to a survey (n = 2.000) carried out in the U.K., "millennials" (here defined as people aged 18 to 34) have the most negative attitudes to older people and ageing in general. The findings showed a clear pattern indicating that attitudes to ageing become more positive as the age of respondent increases. Or: It becomes more negative as their age decreases. 40% of those age 18 to 34 believe "there isn't any way to escape getting dementia as you age", 25% think "it is normal to be unhappy and depressed when you are old" and 24% believe "older people can never really be thought of as attractive". 44% of 18-24 year olds agreed that in "elections, most older people just vote for their own selfish interests rather than the wellbeing of the younger generation and society as a whole". Respondents aged 18-34 said "old age" would begin at 53, those over 65 said it would start at 64.



People also seem to be living in age segregated places as 64% don't have a single friendship with an age gap of 30 years or more. Cultural or ethnic backgrounds play a major role since those identifying as from a black ethnic background showed an "overwhelmingly more positive" attitude.
Another finding was the "general perception that women faced more barriers growing older than men" as their physical attractiveness allegedly deteriorated more with age (Royal Society for Public Health, 2018).

- Royal Society for Public Health (2018). That Age Old Question. How Attitudes to Ageing Affect Our Health and Wellbeing. London, LINK
- photographs by Vivian Maier via (1977) and via (Chicago 1975)