Across several fields and cultures, age coding is a phenomenon that has substantially left its mark on a wide range of the population. The concept of age coding creates biases among people of different ages and generations. The generalization of subjective and stereotypical beliefs restricts an individual from reaching their truest potential and limits.
Understanding Age Coding: Whether many of us are aware of this phenomenon, age coding is a significant obstacle that hinders people who have crossed a specific age range from becoming subjected to speculation, prejudice, and stereotypes. Moreover, it creates a false, altered belief system in an individual of a certain age that provides them with low self-esteem and deprives them of opportunities.
How Age Coding Affects Us?: Our attitudes and perceptions about aging significantly impact our physical and mental health. The practice of age coding in our society, culture, and workplaces provides us with a negative impression of aging. We become easily subjected to age coding the elderly population and foster a similar thought pattern regarding ourselves as well.
As we can see from the study in The Wall Street Journal, people oscillate between deferred self-image just because of the conceptions of ageism and age coding. It dominates the everyday experiences of many people who shun their optimism for reaching greater heights. At the same time, it causes severe physical and mental ailments.
Importance Of Stopping Age Coding: In the present world, breaking the age code has become immensely important.
With the emerging policies and strategies for diversity and inclusion in communities and workplaces, age coding has become a stale approach to life. When we break the year-old tradition of age code, we allow a vast population to reach their fullest potential and showcase their talents.
How Can We Stop Age Coding?: To break the practice of the age code, the first and foremost action that needs to be carried out is widespread awareness. According to Dr. Levy, the author of “Breaking the Age Code,” many health problems that we formerly believed were due to the aging process turn out to be instead influenced by our false, stereotypical, and negative age beliefs that dominate our mentality.
Moreover, active participation in breaking age codes also mitigates the generation gap prevailing in our communities and societies. As a result, the opportunity for age diversity around us is enabled. This practice cultivates a number of critical steps, including empowerment, innovation, improved productivity and performance, and societal harmony.
Dr. Levy also says in The New York Times that aging should be celebrated rather than create negative narratives. To break the age code, we can not develop beliefs. We must instead activate them. Starting from the toddlers to the elderly generation, we must teach the scientific and proven studies on ageism. We must break free from the age-old and stereotypical beliefs.
Therefore, to break the age code, we must shift our perspectives on how we see aging as. We must engage in creating opportunities and implementing inclusion strategies all around us. For more discussion, join our forum to share your thoughts and register to become a member.
