Getting older in Silicon Valley (and the world). Ageism is present in all aspects of digital technologies.
Mireia Fernández Ardèvol and Andrea Rosales, CNSC researchers, together with Jakob Svensson from the University of Malmö, edit “Digital Ageism. How it Operates and Approaches to Tackling it”. With about thirty experts, they analyze how digital ageism is invisibly present in our society, particularly in the mecca of the technological revolution: Silicon Valley.
Ageism is a form of social discrimination based on age, which manifests itself with special intensity in the context of digitalization. Digital technologies, mostly associated with youth, are designed by young individuals with a specific life context.
Silicon Valley is a concept that has become a symbol of innovation and technological revolution. The sexist and ageist origins of its digital culture have been perpetuated over time. This paradigm is compounded by cultural perceptions, biases, and expectations that older tech workers will be less passionate, less interested in technology, and will face more difficulties in learning new things.
“The first step to break with this framework is to create more awareness about the stereotypes that mark interpersonal relationships and, particularly age stereotypes, and how they shape labor relations in tech companies” comments Andrea Rosales.
You can read an expanded news at the following link and access the contents of the publication here.
Photograph: Adobe Stock.