Given the frenetic change in America’s political landscapes we see today with every election, debate and policy issue, it’s easy to see how the world feels like it’s spinning a bit out of control. Or maybe spinning in a direction that no longer makes sense to many people. For older generations, it often seems more and more alienating.
Understanding how these changes affect older generations can help us fill in the gaps and foster more inclusive conversations. Here are a few ways in which the current political landscape could be alienating Boomers and Gen-X.
Rapid Social Change
As social norms like language patterns, attitude toward relationships, family structures and morals rapidly change over time, many older residents can have a hard time keeping up with the changes; especially when those changes aren’t inclusive.
When cultural values and identity are undergoing a dramatic transformation, some aspects of the new norms can make older adults feel jarringly alienated. Younger people tend to embrace these shifts more rapidly than older folks.
Perceived Marginalization
Older adults might resent the tendency of today’s political conversations to concentrate on the concerns of youngish voters, at their own perceived exclusion.
Most can list a range of issues that they worry get little attention. Yes, immigration, AI and tariffs are big issues worth discussing, but they may think that not enough attention is being given to social security, healthcare costs and senior care, among others. This makes seniors feel left out of society.
Technology and Communication Gaps
Many older people haven’t grown up with technology, at least not at the level of today’s younger generations.
Social media platforms and new tech can be bewildering or frightening for many seniors, making it hard to join anything online. Most of the societal discourse and trends are happening online these days.
While seniors use social media, most tend to stick to interacting with content and people they know and trust. In return, the algorithms only show them an increasingly restricted feed.
This creates a widening gap between older adults and the mainstream, including important debates.
Economic Anxiety
Not having enough, or facing the prospect of using up savings in retirement, is a big financial worry for elderly people. This is especially true in the context of what the media is trumpeting about deficiencies in healthcare, pensions or social security provision.
For those who live on a fixed income, all these changes are very stressful.
Identity Politics
Indeed, the rise of identity politics has tended to overlook older people. The recent emphasis on rolling back diversity and pressure to pick a side has promoted other groups at the expense of older generations, who worked hard to put these policies in place.
They often feel their voices and experiences are overlooked, feeling powerless to see the country heading down paths they’ve seen bad outcomes from.
The sense that one’s contributions are not valued is frustrating and can lead to feelings of marginalization.
Generational Divide in Political Preferences
The younger/older political preference gap challenges some of the oldest among us to feel taken for granted or misunderstood.
Young voters’ views tend to skew liberal; older voters skew conservative. As young voters take over, their decidedly woke values are leaving older adults feeling unheard and disregarded.
Erosion of Traditional Values
Many older adults grew up in an era informed by values such as family, patriotism and faith.
Today’s political climate may reject or disrespect such cherished beliefs, and rapid societal changes can make those struggling to keep pace feel disrespected. A pervasive feeling of grief and loss can also arise.
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