Essay On Social Marginalisation

Social marginalisation has extreme consequences for any society. Unpleasant stereotypes of certain people, linked with discriminatory views can have a damaging influence on a particular group or community. I carried out my volunteering in DCU with the intergenerational learning programme, as a mentor, assisting older adults in the community in how to use their mobile devices. I really wanted to delve into the true experiences of what it was like to be an older person living in our society today, as there is a significant increase in ageism. It is quite common that many people look on older people as a burden, and they are often denied access to resources or services due to their age. According to the National Positive Ageing Strategy, older people are often stereotyped as either sick, disabled citizens or people who don’t contribute to society (Health Service Executive 2013). Ageism has never been taken as seriously as other

It is easy to presume that older adults will find a mobile device as simple to use as you do. My first week, I was introduced to a lady called Lily, and each week she came in with a list of what she wanted to do that day. I found myself looking forward to each new week, and also to seeing Lily. We developed a great friendship and got to know each other really well. I found that many of the older people who came to our class would look forward to their interactions with the mentors and often said it was the highlight of their day. Growing technology is often like a foreign language to the older generation, according to a few of the people I talked to. However, if older people remain offline they will become increasingly excluded as it becomes more frequently used. When Lily first came in, the only thing she knew how to do was turn her mobile phone and tablet on. Throughout the weeks, she learned how to download apps, use the internet, and even wanted to learn how to take a