▁certain ▁rights ▁( e . g . ▁voting ), ▁ign oring ▁their ▁ideas ▁because ▁they ▁are ▁considered ▁" to o ▁young ", ▁or ▁assuming ▁that ▁they ▁should ▁behave ▁in ▁certain ▁ways ▁because ▁of ▁their ▁age , ▁the ▁term ▁is ▁pre domin antly ▁used ▁in ▁relation ▁to ▁the ▁treatment ▁of ▁older ▁people . ▁Old er ▁people ▁themselves ▁can ▁be ▁deeply ▁age ist , ▁having ▁internal ized ▁a ▁lifetime ▁of ▁negative ▁s tere ot ypes ▁about ▁ag ing . ▁F ear ▁of ▁death ▁and ▁fear ▁of ▁dis ability ▁and ▁dependence ▁are ▁major ▁causes ▁of ▁age ism ; ▁avoid ing , ▁seg reg ating , ▁and ▁reject ing ▁older ▁people ▁are ▁cop ing ▁mechan isms ▁that ▁allow ▁people ▁to ▁avoid ▁thinking ▁about ▁their ▁own ▁mort ality . ▁ ▁Classification ▁ ▁Dist inction ▁from ▁other ▁age - related ▁bias ▁Age ism ▁in ▁common ▁parl ance ▁and ▁age ▁studies ▁usually ▁refers ▁to ▁negative ▁disc rimin atory ▁practices ▁against ▁old ▁people , ▁people ▁in ▁their ▁middle ▁years , ▁te en agers ▁and ▁children . ▁There ▁are ▁several ▁forms ▁of ▁age - related ▁bias . ▁Ad ult ism ▁is ▁a ▁pre dis position ▁towards ▁adult s , ▁which ▁is ▁seen ▁as ▁bi ased ▁against ▁children , ▁youth , ▁and ▁all ▁young ▁people ▁who ▁are ▁not ▁addressed ▁or ▁viewed ▁as ▁adult s . ▁This ▁includes ▁political ▁cand ida cies , ▁jobs , ▁and ▁cultural ▁settings ▁where ▁the ▁supposed ▁greater ▁vital ity ▁and / or ▁physical ▁beauty ▁of ▁youth ▁is ▁more ▁appreciated ▁than ▁the ▁supposed ▁greater ▁moral ▁and / or ▁intellectual ▁rig