ageism Archives - My New Old Self

Too old to vote – says who?

Mar

12

2018

Fellow democrats of all ages, what do you think of this idea? It’s a proposal for people to lose their right to vote when they hit 70. That’s the approximate age when older people start showing less concern for the future of society. This is when they tend to focus more on protecting their immediate ...

It’s the (Positive) Thoughts that Count

Feb

24

2018

Readers of this blog will have noted that My New Old Self has enthusiastically embraced positive thinking. This was most recently in response to a study about the effects of exercise on older people. It revealed that the mere thought that you are not exercising enough can shorten your lifespan. Now there is a new ...

Old and feeling it? Blame TV

Sep

22

2017

If you’re feeling your age, guess where you can put the blame? On TV. This is the finding of two new scientific studies. And you know how much My New Old Self relies on those two words “studies show”. TV + old people = bad news These studies show that television has a negative impact ...

Elders + Tech = Laughs

Jun

1

2017

Your intrepid correspondent on the Elder Watch beat considers it a key duty to keep you up to date where technology is concerned. Not about the latest technological developments. Forget that, I battle to keep up with the ever-changing tech world like most of us whose lives have straddled the Digital Divide. Besides, youthful tech ...

Snowflake Generation: Insult of the Year

Jan

27

2017

I am not happy about the Insult of the Year. Not because it was hurled at me – I’m too old for it. This insult is targeted at the young. Their elders call them the “Snowflake Generation”. “Young adults of the 2010s, viewed as less resilient and more prone to taking offence than previous generations” ...

Youth tell Mandela era elders: Shut up! 1

Oct

7

2016

There’s a joke about the alumni of an elite South African boys school that poses this question: “How do you know if someone went to…?” The answer: “They tell you.” There’s a similar joke now doing the rounds: “How do you know if someone was in The Struggle?” Fighting apartheid used to be something to brag ...

Live longer – and better!

Jun

24

2016

When I saw this cartoon it depressed me. “These are them?” All this effort to stay young – and all it gets us is more years of being old? Wait a minute. Let’s refill that half-glass of water, abandoning such pessimistic measurement of its emptiness. Readers of this column will know how fond My New Old Self ...

Same Old Same Old for Women at Cannes

May

11

2016

There are more women directors with movies in competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. But in terms of older women it looks like Same Old Same Old. The Cannes 2016 main jury is headed by George Miller, director of the Mad Max action movie franchise. At 71 he is NSP (No Spring Chicken) but I haven’t ...

Studies show (sometimes): what we know 1

Apr

16

2016

“Studies show” – you’ve read that here before. My New Old Self often cites research findings from studies on ageing. Studies can offer revelations and insights. Sometimes, however, they seem to simply confirm the intuitively obvious. Like a recent study revealing that pop music lyrics show “negative representations” of older people. Duh, our youth-loving, age-denying ...

I’m like: I don’t like it

Mar

7

2016

I’ve got a problem with the word “like”. I don’t like that “like” has replaced the word “said” in spoken English. People don’t say “I said” or “He says” much any more. Instead they say “She was like” and “I’m like”. As for me, I’m like: I don’t like it. But whether I like it or ...