With so much focus on diversity, equity and inclusion these days, why do we still tolerate ageism? I ponder this question in week 12 of The Sunday Spark, a series with weekly thoughts and highlights, nuggets of learning, and a sustainable living tip for the week.
Also this week: why eggs are so expensive, the latest binge-drinking trend, alternatives to laundry detergent in plastic jugs, and more.
The Sunday Spark – Week 12
On my mind this week: Why haven’t we stamped out ageism?
Earlier this week, this headline in Benefits Canada magazine’s daily update caught my eye—“A fifth of older employees experiencing deliberate exclusion at work.” The article cited a UK study that found older adults were twice as likely to experience exclusion in the workplace than younger workers, and one-third of workers over 55 experienced bullying the workplace—far more than any other age group. This study is a reminder that ageism is alive and well in our world.
This brought to mind a book I read last year. In What Retirees Want, authors Ken Dychtwald and Robert Morison called out ageism as the last socially acceptable form of discrimination. Businesses consistently market their products and services to the youth market, yet today’s seniors have far more wealth, disposable income, and free time than young people. Further, the book cited a 2019 study by AARP that found older adults are seven times more likely to be portrayed negatively in online media images than younger adults.
I admit to experiencing some of the behaviour called out in the survey in my own workplace, despite working for a company that is generally very inclusive. I have heard younger co-workers make off-hand comments about “old people” (i.e. people my age) being inflexible and unable to learn new things. And images in corporate training modules and on our intranet demonstrate diversity of colour, gender, and ability, but rarely show pictures of people my age.
Sadly, despite increased longevity and significant achievements by older people, our youth-obsessed society doesn’t value or respect the wisdom that age and experience bring.
It’s time for an attitude shift to end ageism! Who’s with me?
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Three highlights of the week
It’s important to celebrate big milestones and simple pleasures in life. Keeping the trend going, here are three highlights and simple pleasures of the week gone by:
- On Sunday, my husband and I went to see the Kitchener Rangers—our local junior hockey team. They treated us to a 6-0 win. While I was there, I enjoyed a maple Beaver Tail…a truly Canadian treat.
- I registered for Queen Breakthru—the North American Queen convention—coming up in August. It has been five years since I’ve attended. I’m so looking forward to a weekend hanging out with my “Queenies” again!
- Our snow is finally melting and I was thrilled to see snowdrops in the garden on Friday. It always amazes me that they come to life under a blanket of snow.
Three things I learned this week
Life is all about learning. Here are three things I learned this week:
Why eggs are so expensive these days
When it comes to groceries, inflation seems to have impacted the price of eggs far more than a lot of other things. A couple of weeks ago, I saw a comment in a post on another blog about the high cost of eggs. I hadn’t really given it much thought, but the days of $0.99 or even $1.99 a dozen eggs seem to be long gone. These days in the supermarket, most eggs are around $4 or $5 a dozen or more.
So, why has the cost of eggs skyrocketed compared to other food items? We can blame it on an Avian flu outbreak that started in 2022. In the United States, 57 million chickens had to be culled because of the virus. (Source: Forbes) Fewer chickens mean fewer eggs so it’s simply a case of supply and demand.
BORG – The latest binge drinking trend
In an earlier Sunday Spark, I shared that younger generations are drinking less than my generation did at their age. It turns out that doesn’t apply to college and university students.
Last week on St. Patrick’s Day, our local university students held their annual out-of-control street party. Watching the news reports about the event, I heard a term I had never heard before—BORG. It stands for “black out rage gallon” and pretty much every student at the party was carrying one of these gallon jugs around.
So what is a BORG? Well, it involves taking a gallon jug of water, emptying out half of the water, and then adding 750 ml (26 oz) of liquor, and topping it off with a drink enhancer with electrolytes. (Source: CTV News)
Gen Z tout this as a way to get very drunk quickly, easily and with less chance of a hangover the next day. Some even go so far as calling it a health and wellness trend because it cuts the risk of dehydration, reduces the chances of drink tampering, and is safer than communal drinks. That feels like a bit of a stretch to me.
I did my share of drinking and partying in my 20s, but I don’t think I ever came close to drinking 26 oz of liquor in a single evening. But we didn’t have TikTok in those days to publicize this kind of stupidity. Sigh.
Single-use plastic use is increasing
Despite the amount of attention on its impact on the environment, we’re using more single-use plastic than ever. Global single-use plastic use in 2021 was 139 million tonnes, up from 133 million tonnes in 2019. (Source: Plastic Waste Makers Index 2023)
It’s hard not to get discouraged when you see numbers like these. When will we wake up?
Sustainable living tip: Good-bye plastic jugs of laundry soap
In the month of March, my weekly sustainable living tips have focused on reducing waste on laundry day. Today, I wrap up the month with a look at laundry soap.
I’m proud to say I haven’t bought a plastic jug of laundry soap in over five years! I refill my containers of laundry soap, hand soap, and other products at Molloy’s—a local bulk soap supply and refill company. It’s a low-cost and waste-free alternatives to single-use plastic jugs.
If you don’t have a soap refill supply option in your area, there are other options to replace plastic jugs of liquid laundry soap.
- Laundry powder in cardboard boxes
- Paper laundry strips like Tru Earth
- The EcoEgg which uses minerals to clean laundry with no detergent.
I haven’t tried the paper strips or the EcoEgg so I can’t vouch for how well they work. If you’ve tried them, drop me a comment below and share your experience.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on ageism or any of this week’s other topics. Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts and ideas.
Yeah this BORG thing is getting out of hand. But I guess teenagers will always do stupid things, and they’ll grow up to find the new generation of teenagers doing even stupider things. It’s a neverending cycle, really. In terms of fashion, I used to think I was the bomb, wearing skintight checkered jeans (and neon baggy pants before that). Now men’s crop tops are the rage, along with actual handbags, and it’s not something I’ll ever do, but I’ve realised that the times will always move on, regardless of whether I follow along. Interesting though!
I know and I realize I sound like an “old person” when I say these things but at what point do we stop and say “Wait a minute! What we’re doing is actually dangerous and maybe we need to apply a little common sense.”? I’m all for having a good time but when pesonal and public safety is at risk, maybe we need to stop and think.
Okay…old person rant over.
Michelle, this BORG thing is news to me! Maybe it hasn’t caught on here in the US. I don’t think your “Wait a minute … this is dangerous … common sense” sounds like an “old person.” I recall thinking like that when I was quite young. But you’re right about ageism. Someone on Twitter commented that saying a certain expression “sounds like an old lady.” I replied: “I knew a woman, about 80, who said “My word” and she was the most elegant, charming, stylish, up-to-date-without-being-trendy, woman of any age ever. I always told her I wanted to be her when I grew up!” Just a small example, but it is quite common.
Good point, Jean. I did some silly things when I was young but I think I always had the little voice of reason in the back of my head to stop me from going overboard. Maybe I was wise beyond my years, although my daughters are in their early 20s and they are both pretty responsible.
It’s a shame we can’t respect the wisdom of older generations. There are so many older adults doing amazing things but our youth-obsessed society, in general, doesn’t acknowledge that.
Thanks for dropping by and leaving such a thoughtful comment!
I’d love to switch our laundry detergent but himself is so allergic to everything that we’ve found one that suits and daren’t try anything else. I recently compared the ingredients in ours to the Ecover Zero and found the “zero” advertised one had about 10 more ingredients. Ours is very very basic, probably the base mixture that all the detergent manufacturers add perfumes and faddy gimmicks to. But I’ve never seen it as a refillable. That said, we but 5L bottles and try to reuse them (cut the top off for a cheap plant pot).
Yes. It’s surprising when you see the ingredients in some of these products. I’m fortunate that the laundry soap at my bulk soap refill store is all natural and biodegradable…and they offer scented and unscented versions. What a great idea to use the jugs for plant pots!
I find the ageism against older workers very depressing, especially that the age at which we can claim our state pensions keeps going up! Attitudes definitely need to change towards older people in general.
I agree. Young people hate when older people make generalizations about them, yet they do it to us all the time. It’s wrong.
HI Michelle and happy Sunday. I read about the increase in single-use plastics this week, and the prediction is that it will increase substantially over the next year or two. I think society has turned a deaf ear to these kinds of things. I’ve been noticing it more and more lately. If it’s negative it seems to be ignored. Another example of this is the proven fact that fast food is bad for us but we’re eating more of it than ever. It’s like people just don’t want to hear it anymore so they ignore it. Society is in a sad state these days if you ask me.
I see alot of the ageism you speak of too. Not in the workplace since I don’t work but it’s everywhere. It is a youth-based society now. Ableism is another one that affects me personally and I see way too much of it. My city is pretty good with accessibility but some places don’t even consider it – places I’d like to go like a local museum. I just can’t do three flights of stairs with no elevator, but I used to love going there.
As for eggs I haven’t really noticed since we don’t eat a lot of eggs but ALL groceries have gone up these last couple of years. Here in PEI, we have the highest rate of increase in groceries at something like 11.5% and our food was already more expensive than in other provinces.
OK enough of my ranting for today LOL. Have a great day!
Hi Roze. Yes, it is sad that our society tends to ignore anything that might be just a little inconvenient for them. I try to stay positive but it gets to be a bit much sometimes.
I understand that youth are the future but there’s so much to be learned from the wisdom of earlier generations. I’m sorry you’re finding some places aren’t as accessible as they should be.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Have a wonderful week ahead.
A couple of months ago, I went down to our local market after my wife said she needed eggs. I chose an eighteen pack and a pack of gum. I handed the clerk a $20 and looked at her in disbelief when she handed me the paltry change. I never do that because it seems ignorant to take out our frustrations on someone who is simply ringing up the prices. I honestly thought she must have made a mistake. Then she said that eggs were really expensive right now—$15 for 18 eggs. 🤣 That’s when I learned of the avian flu. Eggs are now selling for just over $5.00 per dozen now.
Interesting point about age being the last acceptable form of discrimination. I served on a jury once regarding a case of ageism. A senior living center had some kind of minimum age requirement to live there. A woman married a man twenty years younger, and, quite naturally, moved in with his wife. They were trying to evict the couple.
Oh wow, Pete. That’s a lot for 18 eggs! Here in Canada, egg prices are definitely higher but not as high as the United States, it seems.
That’s an interesting age-related court case. It’s a shame the various generations can’t all learn to learn from and respect each other. I know I learn a lot from the younger people I work with. It goes both ways.
Thanks for reading and commenting. Have a wonderful week!
Goodness…thanks for sharing all of this, Michelle, but the “BORG” business really got my attention. I know the behavior (sadly) but I didn’t know an acronym had been coined for it. Sigh. Appreciate being more aware. Thank you for that. ❤
Hi Victoria. Thanks for reading and commenting. Yes, the BORG was an eye opener for me. It seems college and university students have no end of creativity when it comes to partying. Living in a city with two universities, I respect the students’ right to have a good time—I remember what I was like at that age—but these wild street parties are totally out of control and are a danger to public safety when every available ambulance and paramedic is tending to drunk students.
Yes…I’m with you…’risk to self and others’ is the phrase that comes to mind. Thanks, Michelle. 💗
I went for breakfast today and the restaurant had no eggs as we have an ongoing shortage. Regarding age, the UK government is trying to encourage people to work longer and retire later. A similar policy is not going down well in France.
That’s interesting to hear about egg shortages as one of my American readers was questioning the supply and demand statement because there is no shortage in the United States. Kind of makes me wonder what they are doing to the hens to increase production to avoid shortages. Scary thought.
Yes, I have seen the protests in France over the proposed retirement age increases. Having worked in the pension and retirement business my entire career, I understand the economics around increased longevity and the strain it puts on public and private pension plans. These plans will not be sustainable longer term if changes aren’t made and I think it’s unfair to shift the burden of cost to future generations. Our government increased the age for our public pension to 67 a few years ago and then a new government got elected and reversed it. There are no easy solutions.
Happy Sunday! If egg prices are caused by fewer chickens making fewer eggs, why is there not a shortage of eggs and chicken at the supermarket?
And about laundry sheets, I tried them and they seemed fine for small, lightly soiled loads, but not otherwise. Very convenient though.
You raise a really good question about the supply of eggs, Judy. Kind of makes me wonder if they’re doing something to stimulate egg production. There was a big controversy over that during the pandemic when dairy producers were doing questionable things to increase production.
Thanks for the feedback on the laundry sheets. That’s good to know.
We may never know.
You’re right. We probably will never know. Interestingly, one of my readers from the UK says they are experiencing egg shortages there.
That is interesting.