‘Anti-ageing is anti-life’: why longevity culture is just ageism in a lab coat
Why This Matters
The growing longevity culture, which touts anti-ageing science as a means to defy time, is rooted in a deeper societal fear of ageing and a pressure to conform to youth-centric beauty standards. This phenomenon reveals a disturbing ageism, where the pursuit of eternal youth is prioritized over acceptance and self-acceptance at any age. As a result, the cultural narrative surrounding ageing is being rewritten to emphasize the avoidance of natural ageing processes rather than embracing them.
Rapid scientific progress has given us the tools to stop time more convincingly than ever – but lurking behind these claims is the same fear of ageingAndrea holds a PhD in literature and works for a nonprofit in Dallas. She’s in her late 40s and tells me that the pressure to remain youthful in her city is palpable. Almost completely irresistible.“You don’t know what it’s like here,” she said. “Everyone has a facelift if they can afford one and everyone has had some work done. I’m a feminist to the core, but if I had the money, I would get a deep-plane facelift in a heartbeat. I’m saving up to get my neck done.” Continue reading...
Curation & Context
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