Taking aim at ageism: Stanford summit looks at changing the conversation about longevity

THE STANFORD CENTER on Longevity tackled a big topic at its annual Century Summit last week at Stanford University: “Ageism and the Intergenerational Future.” In collaboration with The Longevity Project, an organization founded to foster research and public conversation about our increased life spans, over 200 participants gathered in person and hundreds more online for two days of panels and discussion about the effects of ageism in society today.

Although gerontologist Robert Butler coined the term “ageism” back in 1968, the problem is alive and well and becoming even more pressing. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the 65-and-over population will nearly double in size over the next few decades, from 49 million in 2016 to 95 million in 2060. By 2034, older adults are projected to outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history.