We all encounter expectations regarding what we should accomplish at different stages of life. Often, we also hold these expectations for ourselves. This is known as age norms.

Age norms can lead to young people and young adults being undervalued. Many young people face biases like, "You’re too young and naïve to understand this."

For adults and the elderly, age discrimination can lead to being seen as outdated, which can make finding employment more difficult.

• People over 67 years old make up 16 percent of the Norwegian population, but only 2 percent of the roles in Norwegian films.
• Female actors find it more difficult to get roles after the age of 40, due to youthful ideals and narrow gender norms.
• A review of roles in recent Norwegian films conducted by the Norwegian Film Institute in 2024 found that among female actors, only 20 percent are over 44 years old.

Ageism refers to prejudice against older people and aging in our society. Aging is frequently associated with decline and deterioration, rather than with change, life experience, and expertise.

Many of the challenges faced in later years are largely the result of societal conditions, such as living standards, work situations, stereotypes, and expectations about participation.

Older people are often seen as a uniform group, which doesn’t reflect reality. For instance, in political discussions, elderly people are often spoken of as if they all live in nursing homes, though this applies to only a small percentage, just 6-7% of those over 65. The majority of older adults live at home and lead diverse lives, yet this group is less visible in public discourse.

Negative views on aging affect not only how younger people see the elderly but also how older people view themselves. Internalized ageism, or self-ageism, is when older adults develop limiting, negative beliefs about their age.

“I’m too old.”
“I can’t learn anything new.”
“I’m not attractive anymore.”

Per Erik Solem warns against letting age stereotypes dictate our choices.

– You might not want to join Friday drinks or learn new technology, but that’s not necessarily due to age, he says.

We often speak negatively about aging. Very few people want to be associated with the term "elderly.”

Many begin to speak negatively about their own age as soon as they hit 30. There’s often a desire to be, or appear, younger than one’s actual age. "You look young" or "You’re young at heart" are often given as compliments.

An entire industry profits from and reinforces negative attitudes toward aging. The term "anti-aging" is frequently used as a selling point for moisturizers, for example.

Age discrimination is often unrecognized, and it can gradually lead to people being excluded from work and social life.

For society, ageism results in a loss of knowledge and perspectives from older generations.

What roles are available for older adults? Actor and stage artist Berit Rusten (72) shares that recently, she has only been offered roles as a grandmother and as an elderly woman flirting with African men. The life she leads as a woman over 70 finds no place on stage or screen.

Per Erik Solem believes we should celebrate age. We should not be blind to age, but rather recognize that aging has both positive and negative aspects.