A report from Australia Seniors reveals that nearly 3 in 5 over 50s feel they haven't yet hit the prime of their life. And close to half of Australians over 70-year-old -- feel the happiest times in their life have come post 50. But 9 out of 10 over 50 feel they face stereotypes around being older. Professor Nancy Pachana from the University of Queensland discusses the findings of the report.
Category
đź“ş
TVTranscript
00:00People in the latter half of life are really enjoying the fruits of their labors, of their
00:07life.
00:08They're content in their careers, maybe feeling at the top of their game.
00:11They have children and grandchildren, they may be more financially secure, or they may
00:16be able to be exploring new and novel hobbies, careers, whatever, having a second career.
00:25And this is really contributing to this sense of well-being.
00:28The people themselves, older people, are feeling content in what they're doing.
00:34But what they're facing is ageism out in society.
00:37They're facing people who are judging them based just on their chronological age and
00:42assuming that they cannot do and be what they want to be.
00:48And this is extremely damaging.
00:50And in fact, internalized ageism, if you internalize that message, it can cost you seven and a
00:57half years of life because you're not engaging, you're not taking care of your health if
01:03you really believe those negative messages from society.
01:07So how are people trying to defy stereotypes and a sense of invisibility?
01:14They're trying.
01:15They're, you know, entrepreneurs, they're starting new businesses, they're backing campaigns
01:24and being advocates in various spaces.
01:28But they're really faced with this view that they are really past their prime.
01:36And the disturbing thing in the report was that less than half of people were willing
01:40to challenge these negative stereotypes.
01:45But I really feel that it's up to everyone in society, everyone in Australia, to challenge
01:51those stereotypes.
01:53People are really being much less limited in their view of what they can be and do in
02:00terms of continuing on with work, in terms of making intergenerational links and really
02:08in terms of engaging very fully in life.
02:12And this is partly due to, of course, Australia having longevity on its side.
02:18So people are living into their 80s regularly.
02:20And so people are saying, look, I'm not just confined to a flat trajectory of, you know,
02:26I'm a student and then I work and then I retire.
02:29No, they can circle back around, become a student at 70, start a new business at 80.
02:36And this is really rejuvenating.