I don't feel 50 
Nearly threw the damn thing out of the window, this morning. No not my PC, my hearing aid, have just started wearing a digital hearing aid and it's taking a bit of getting used to. No one seems to have noticed, or if they have, no one's called me a “deaf git”. That's because no one satirises disability, gender or race, but no one minds their language when it comes to ageing?
Ageism more common than any other form of prejudice
Attitudes to Age in Britain 2004 - 2008 Dept Work & Pensions
Oppression due to ageism is particularly evident in our language. Like all forms of discrimination, ageism makes assumptions about individuals, their abilities, their circumstances, their preferences and much more, simply because of one factor – in this case their ages.
Stereotypically older people are viewed as less competent.
Attitudes to Age in Britain 2004 - 2008 Dept Work & Pensions
The way we talk about older people is where the problem starts, words do more than describe the world, they also create it. Ageism is alive and well on the internet where 'silver surfer' lumps everyone over 50 who goes online together, focussing on their age not their abilities. Implying or at the very least putting doubts in peoples minds that older people have problems or are incompetent using IT.
Why this meaningless online division of under 50s and the over 50s that prevents opportunities in areas that really matter such as jobs, health and well being in later life?
Many people who use the term 'silver surfer' believe they are being “nice” They are being as nice as someone who says “that’s good for a coloured person” or “that’s very good for a woman”.
50 - getting old
60 - getting pensionable
70 - getting senile
80 - getting dead
The typical older person doesn’t exist, there is great diversity. Age is not a single, absolute entity, It is made up of a number of influences – social, cultural, biological. Health, mind, company kept, lifestyle, activity.
Ageism is a subtle evil. Ageism can result in not only a loss to society but also harm to the individual, it compromises self esteem. A sense of well being is determined by one's beliefs about self worth.
"Silver Surfer" originated in the early days of the web, youngsters poking fun at older people who ventured online, it restricts contribution, goal setting and purpose. There is a universal loathing of the term by adults who are IT literate it ignores and patronises the 50 plus. "Silver Surfer" creates an uninspring figure of limited ability with a narrow set of needs, defeating many before they start.
"Why 'Silver' surfer? This reference and labelling is, in my view, as derogatory as the term 'blonde bimbo'. I don't consider myself, nor my friends, to be silver' surfers. We are adults and IT literate. Thank you for your time." BBC audience email
"Let's get rid of silver surfers. Not the people, the phrase. It is as patronising as it is counter-productive to call someone a silver surfer." Victor Keegan The Guardian
“More often than not we speak on behalf of older people, asserting an ability to understand their perspectives . Speaking for them takes a couple of forms, namely the sweeping generalisation or the personal anecdote.” Simon Roberts “The Fiction, Facts and Future of Older People and Technology.
Personal anecdotes concerning people and technology normally paint a picture using an A - Z of ageing starting with Alzeimers and ending with Zimmer frame or concocted stories like:
"The biggest obstacle, the thing the pensioners' couldn't get their heads around, was that you had to click on the 'Start' button to turn the computer off. It just didn't make sense to them."
Why single out pensioners when beginners of all ages have been saying the same about the start button for years, google it and you will find millions of entries? Originally ten, twelve years ago it started out as a joke aimed at Microsoft never a mention of age.
Unlike racism, ageism is somewhat self-curing. People who live long enough eventually get the point.
But I agree, it's rampant.Howard Rheingold
graham@idf50.co.uk