If you’ve ever joked about being “over the hill,” it might be time to rethink it.

A special panel on ageism is being held at the University of Auckland’s Newmarket Campus on 25 June, and Coasties curious about how ageing shapes our lives might find it an eye-opener.

Organised by Nusch Herman from the Centre for Co-Created Ageing Research, the event will unpack how negative stereotypes about ageing—like being forgetful, grumpy, or past your prime—can actually do real harm.

“Ageism is prejudice against our future selves,” says Herman, echoing author Ashton Applewhite.

The message?

We’re all ageing, and the more positively we see that journey, the better we’ll age ourselves.

One study even found that people with a positive attitude to ageing live, on average, 7.5 years longer.

And while older people often bear the brunt of ageism, Herman says young people face it too—especially when it comes to being taken seriously at work or in the community.

One study even found that people with a positive attitude to ageing live, on average, 7.5 years longer.

And while older people often bear the brunt of ageism, Herman says young people face it too—especially when it comes to being taken seriously at work or in the community.

For locals on the Hibiscus Coast, the takeaway is simple: the more we challenge ageist ideas—whether in the media, the workplace or our own thinking—the more supportive and inclusive our community becomes.

As life expectancy continues to rise, that shift matters more than ever.

Ageing isn’t failing. It’s living. And it deserves to be celebrated, not feared.

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