Agism

Thailand has a tropical climate, leaving the country vulnerable to the threat of floods during its monsoon season. In 2011, Thailand experienced its worst floods in half a century. The floods were triggered by tropical storms and heavy monsoon rains. The phenomenon “La Niña” had brought above-average accumulated precipitation. The volume of water was so vast that more than two third of the country's provinces were flooded. Water inundated villages, temples, farms, factories. Manufacturing was hit as several large industrial estates were forced to close and factories had to shut, severely damaging the country's economy, industrial sector, and society. Flooded, the factory I had worked for was closed for renovation and I had to look for a new job. I sent a job application to a Japanese job recruitment company in response to an advertised job. I went for an interview with a female recruiter. I was surprised when she advised me to be cautious about stating my exact age. International companies seek to be equal employers who provide the same employment opportunities to all applicants and prohibit discrimination with regard to age, sex, gender and so on. I was made to be aware of “ageism” or prejudicial attitudes towards persons advanced in age. Ageism is a serious social problem relevant to everyone. As younger people experience age-based discrimination, older people are also discriminated against because of their age. Employers now seem to have a larger pool to choose from because a growing population of well-educated young candidates are seeking employment, who may be preferred. Moreover, job applications often specify a certain working age range. So, it appears more value is placed on youth than experience. In reality, we all should help shape our society so age, including age stereotypes, should not be a factor in hiring, layoff or termination decisions and companies with diverse experiences in the workplace will achieve better business results. When it comes to jobs where age is not relevant in any way, older people should be able to compete with everyone else, according to a young student who wrote about ageism in Thailand. They should not be weeded out by an age limit in an application. They should be assessed as applicants based on their training and experience rather than their chronological age, and they should be appreciated as vital employees for companies and organizations. This would take society a step in the right direction, toward a more balanced, diverse and accepting world. According to a new report from the Asian Development Bank, today's elderly are better educated and healthier than in the past. The average healthy life span increased by nearly seven years from 57.2 to 63.8 years between 1990 and 2017 for the economies in Asia and the Pacific. The average years of education among 55 to 64-year-old people also increased from 4.6 in 1990 to 7.8 in 2015. It is time that we view ageing as a benefit, especially when people live much longer and are viable professionals long past retirement. Old people have seen and learned more throughout their many years, and some are most important people in our world. It is time that we understand, acknowledge, and appreciate them as such.

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Michael Kelso

Author of Crime/Mystery novels, and short hor...

Schellsburg, United States