By the year 2050, 1 in 3 people will be 65 years old or above. Industrialized countries across the globe are aging at an unprecedented speed, yet older people continue to be stigmatized in these very societies.Â
Ageism (the stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination directed towards people based on their age) prevails across populations with shifting demographic structures. While the global conversation around demographic changes seems to be fixed on their socioeconomic implications, my project calls for the urgency to address this issue from its cultural root.
I Am Not Your Grandma is a platform aimed at challenging the cultural grounds on which ageism is built. By increasing the recognition of older people within social media, I Am Not Your Grandma questions our contemporary idealization of youth and defies the traditional imagery and discourse constructed around older people. Combining exposure of older profiles with an educational approach directed to younger audiences, this proposal intends to elevate the social status of old citizens as well as to reduce aging anxiety across generations. Follow @i.am.not.your.grandma and get in touch with a "new old age" to seize the opportunities of an ageing world.
