We hear all the time we are in a loneliness epidemic. Now it’s official, with the World Health Organization (WHO) recognising it as the next public health priority, launching a three-year-long commission into how solutions can be scaled. Loneliness costs our Australian economy $2.7 billion a year. And that figure is predicted to rise.
Who are most at risk here? 18-25 year olds and those between the ages of 60-90+. What do they have in common? Ageism.
Stay with me, I’ll explain…
Ageism is often thought of as something that only affects seniors who can be dismissed, overlooked, or underestimated due to their years. But it’s just as prevalent for teenagers, who can find themselves labeled as reckless, entitled, or inexperienced.
In my work as a life story writer, I’ve had the privilege of writing over 60 life stories, mostly with seniors, and running hundreds of writing workshops with children and teens. In both groups, I see the same frustration: a feeling of being unheard, underestimated, and boxed-in by stereotypes.
Let’s have a quick look at some of the ageisms faced by both seniors and teenagers—and why we need to start listening to the voices of both our youngest and oldest generations.
For seniors, ageism can be subtle – hidden in the way society talks around them instead of to them, or assumes they no longer have valuable contributions to make. The most common noted experience for seniors is being treated as invisible – ‘she’s too old to remember,’ or ‘he wouldn’t understand technology.’ They say they are left out of conversations that involve their own lives, from healthcare decisions to family plans.
Then there are assumptions about memory loss, and while memory does change with age, not all seniors are forgetful. In my work capturing life stories, I’ve met 90-year-olds with sharper recall than their adult children – and than me! The real issue could very well be that no one asks them the right questions or gives them time to tell their stories.
I hear about amazing lives all the time, lifetimes of knowledge, lessons, and resilience, and I can’t understand why more people are not interested in reading and hearing these stories. Many seniors feel their voices don’t matter anymore. The truth is, the best life advice doesn’t come from Google—it comes from those who’ve lived it.
Then there’s the old ‘you’re too old for social media,’ or ‘don’t worry, I’ll set up the technology for you.’ In reality, plenty of seniors want to engage with technology—they’re just not given the tools or patience to do so.
The good news is, there is a pretty easy solution to this problem our seniors experience, which could lead to so much less loneliness and isolation.
We listen. We ask questions. I’m going to add to this, we capture their stories before it’s too late. Giving seniors a platform to share their lives isn’t just about nostalgia—it’s about honoring their wisdom and making them feel valued.
Now for our beautiful teenagers. Are they really ‘too young to know anything?’
While our seniors are told they’re past their prime, and at the other end, our teenagers are often dismissed as not ready for real responsibility, deep conversations, or big ideas. So, what does teenage ageism look like?
You’ve heard it all before – ‘she’s just lazy’ or ‘he’s so entitled’. It seems every generation complains about “kids these days.” But when I sit down to write with my teens, they are in fact driven, insightful, and bursting with creativity. I would love to be a fly on the wall of a teenage brain.
Teens often have strong views on issues like mental health, climate change, and equality, yet adults frequently dismiss their voices as naïve or uninformed. In reality, young people are leading global movements and proving they’re capable of powerful change.
As they try and find their place in the world, the pressure to conform, either from social media, rigid academic paths or peers, is huge. They’re accused of ‘all talking the same, dressing the same and not having a mind of their own’. You wouldn’t think that if you’d read some of the stories I’ve worked on with them. In the safe space to explore their own story and how they present to the world, there is incredible uniqueness.
And yet we dismiss their struggles. They hear, ‘you think this is hard? Wait until you’re an adult?’ [Guilty]. You know what though? I would not like to be a teenager in this age of social media pressure, with the barage of pornography and AI generated sexualised images being shared of them. Would you?
once again, we need to listen. Their stories are valuable. They don’t need judgment, just like we don’t. They need encouragement toward self confidence and self-expression. Their experiences matter now, not just when they “grow up.”
It might seem like teenagers and seniors are worlds apart, but in reality, they share more than you’d think:
They both want to be heard.
They both battle ageist stereotypes.
They both have stories worth telling.
I get to experience a little of this when I work with both groups. To see the self-confidence boost they get when they are given a voice. My mission is to help young people, seniors, adults, those with disability – every single person feel that self-confidence, one story at a time.
Contact Felicity@awaywithwords.net if you know someone who wants help to tell their story.
For more information on Life Story Services, visit: LIFE STORY WRITING – A Way With Words
