interageers

Interageers are individuals who engage in activities designed to foster interaction across different age groups. They act as catalysts, coordinators, or designers to reduce age-related barriers and promote opportunities for shared learning, collaboration, and social connection.

The term blends intergenerational with the agentive suffix -eer, echoing roles such as volunteer or engineer. It is used in some scholarly and practical discussions to describe a range of actors rather than a single fixed profession.

Roles and activities commonly associated with interageers include coordinating intergenerational programs, creating inclusive content and spaces, designing tools and activities that engage multiple ages, and mentoring or facilitating dialogue between generations. They may work in educational settings, community organizations, libraries, museums, media platforms, or in digital projects that require broad accessibility.

Contexts in which interageers operate vary widely. Examples include school-community partnerships, digital literacy workshops that bring together young people and seniors, co-creation projects, and media or product development that incorporates perspectives from different age groups. Their work often emphasizes mutual learning, empathy, and respect for diverse experiences.

History and usage of the term are informal. Interageers emerged in online discussions and in some policy and sociological debates during the 2010s and 2020s, but the concept remains loosely defined and practice-oriented rather than standardized.

Reception and challenges include recognition of the value of intergenerational collaboration, alongside concerns about vague definitions, measuring impact, and ensuring ethical considerations, accessibility, and inclusivity across diverse communities. See also intergenerational relationships, aging and technology, digital literacy.