Did you know ageism can be broken down into three types? Institutional, interpersonal, and internalized ageism all can affect physical and mental health, and some research even links it with earlier death. Learn about the types and their potential effects below.
Individual: Also referred to as personal ageism, individual ageism is beliefs, ideas, attitudes, and practices that are biased against people or groups of people based only on age. Examples: A younger co-worker is given a great deal of responsibility on a major project, and other workers question if she is experienced enough to handle the role. Conversely, a 58-year-old manages social media for a large organization, and an executive questions whether a "digital native" would have more knowledge about best practices.
Interpersonal: This type of ageism takes place between individuals. Examples: A younger leader expresses surprise that an older member of her team has a podcast with a large following. Or: A multi-age group is playing pub trivia and a question about modern pop music is deferred to a younger member because "Pops" in his 50s surely won't know the answer.
Institutional: Ageism of this type refers to rules and policies that discriminate people or groups of people because they're older. Mandatory retirement is one example of this; couched as a worker benefit, it actually can be a way to ensure older workers aren't taking up roles that a younger person could assume — most often for a lesser salary.
If you believe ageism is affecting you at work, experts recommend you first speak with involved parties, then escalate your concerns to human resources if necessary. Workplaces benefit from the perspectives of all age cohorts, and practicing age inclusivity is advantageous to all involved.