Age discrimination is a large issue in the United States today. All ages can be discriminated against, teenagers are considered shifty and untrustworthy, elderly considered incapable, youth considered boisterous. It affects not only the people who are discriminated against, but also those who lose valuable relationships by judging them based on age.

Picture this: a teenage boy, with a group of friends, walks laughing into a store. They scan the magazine section, walk by the candy, and then walk out without making any purchases. What is the first perception of this? It might be, and in many cases it is, that they stole something. Maybe the employee working behind the register will even go as far as to call the police on these boys, who didn’t steal anything, but were discriminated against simply because they were “unruly teenage boys”.

This happens every day, all over America. We don’t tell the youth very much, because they “won’t understand”, they’re “too young”. We gawk when elderly people run marathons, or even participate in simple recreational activities such as volleyball or swimming, because they are “old”, and “incapable”.

People who are discriminated against, no matter the reason, can be hurt by it. Age discrimination is the same as racial discrimination, or religious discrimination. They can be offended, because it isn’t something they can help. Like my example of the teenage boy above, he was simply having fun as he walked into the store. He had no intention of stealing anything or causing any trouble, he could even be an honor roll student and an athlete, and he was still discriminated against for being a teenager.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should explain to your three year old sister about your sexual education class, or sign your great uncle up for a marathon, but give them a little credit. They are capable of doing things we are, and sometimes more. So next time you tell your little brother/sister/cousin that they’re “too young to understand” or assume that your grandmother is “too old” to participate in athletic activities, listen to yourself. I know you are offended by being judged as a teenager, so how do you think they feel? Remember, it all hurts. Everyone deserves equal opportunities, regardless of age, race, or religion.