Professor Nancy Pachana from UQ’s School of Psychology spoke with ABC Radio Brisbane Afternoons about ageism.
“When we start taking these attitudes in, we’re really young,” Professor Pachana said.
“Children as young as six months can tell the difference between young people and old people and they know instinctively maybe the 'better' group is the young people.
“Normally with an ‘ism’- like racism or sexism -you get to be about four or five, and then you’d be a young girl and saying ‘hey wait a minute that applies to me.’
“But you kind of have to wait until you’re like 40 before you start saying ‘wait a minute’ I think I’m becoming an older person maybe that doesn’t feel good- but it’s too late because you’ve incorporated all those bad ideas into your thinking.”
