Introduction
The media is crucial in shaping the behavior, attitude, and views of people regarding a specific topic. Ageism refers to the stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination shown to people of advanced age (Ayalon & Tesch-Römer, 2018). The media plays a significant role in categorizing older people as being lonely and in need of pity (Kroon et al., 2018). This essay will review and critically evaluate three media portrayals of ageism from Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) news and The New Daily.
Discussion
The first media portrayal is from ABC news and is an article about how older adults are defying ageism on the Bellarine Peninsula. The article starts by indicating the actions being taken by a restaurant owner to help retirees to get jobs. The labor shortage has resulted in employers looking for older adults who would be willing to work. The news article shows that the older adults in the area have taken up the opportunity. The owner indicates that the number of retirees interested is high compared to the number of jobs available. The paper then analyzes the problem of ageism in the workplace. Clayton (2022) notes that people who have experienced age discrimination are less inclined to put themselves forward for job openings. The article also shows that the law on pensions in Australia limits older adults from working more than one shift. The article concludes by providing the advantages for older adults, which include better mental health, the ability to contribute, and being connected with people.
The second example is a television news piece from ABC. The video is a discussion between two presenters and a panelist. The conversation is centered on the way ageism creates challenges for older Australians. During the dialog, the speaker indicates that ageism is more prevalent than racism and sexism. In most cases, words such as darling and sweetie can be used to express prejudice against older adults. The discussion is based on national polling, which indicated that 70% of people aged over 50 years agree that ageism is a significant problem (ABC News, 2022). Aspects such as requiring older workers to be retrained may also be used to show discrimination. From the debate, the Netherlands is viewed as a country that has better policies for aged adults. The speaker encourages individuals to be considerate of the elderly by eliminating prejudices, discrimination, and stereotypes that exist.
The last example is from a newspaper article that analyzes whether a TikTok viral act on an older adult was an act of kindness or benevolent ageism. Anstey and Ginnivan (2022) indicate that the act by the TikToker left the woman feeling dehumanized. The article notes that the media portrays people aged over 60 years as lacking personality, social identity, and individuality. The paper shows that benevolent ageism manifests itself when people believe that older people require help or support. The authors indicate that older people end up feeling degraded because of how they are perceived by people. Anstey and Ginnivan (2022) specify that 90% of Australians agree that ageism is a significant problem. The author concludes by indicating that people should pause and consider their unconscious biases and subtle forms of ageism.
Analysis
The three chosen examples portray the issue of ageism in similar and different ways. One of the negative aspects of ageism that is depicted is workplace discrimination against older adults. The negative perception of aged individuals in the workplace can result in feelings of worthlessness and depression (O’Loughlin et at., 2017). Another negative aspect is that older adults are not capable of performing certain tasks at the workplace. This depiction leads to employers discriminating against elderly people during recruitment and promotions. The use of words that enhance the prejudice over older adults was also portrayed in the articles. Some of the words mentioned in the papers include sweetie and darling.
The three articles highlighted many positive depictions of older adults. The authors’ main goal may have been to challenge the way aged people are viewed in society. One of the positive aspects is that elderly individuals can work. Clayton (2022) showed that hoteliers can gain from employing older aged adults. This is because retirees are readily available and are in search of places that provide opportunities. The article depicts older adults as capable of being active and deriving benefits from job openings. The video discussion also presents elderly people as being able to work in highly demanding environments such as the media. The article by Anstey and Ginnivan (2022) challenges the depiction of older adults as requiring special help and support. The authors note that some of the actions of people can be interpreted differently. This is concerning the viral act of giving flowers to older adults because of the idea that they need support.
The neutral depiction of older adults in the three examples is minimal. In the article by Anstey and Ginnivan (2022) older adults are depicted as happy even when alone. This may give the impression that elderly people do not require any special help from other people. The important aging issues that have been highlighted from the analysis of the three articles are ageism at the workplace, discriminatory policies, and commodification of selfless acts on age in social media. The three news pieces highlight issues of discrimination against older adults in the workplace. Older adults are viewed as incapable of performing certain tasks, which limits their opportunities (Chasteen et al., 2021). This is a significant issue because the workplace environment should adhere to principles of fairness.
Another important issue is the presence of discriminatory policies that limit elderly people from accessing more openings. This is concerning the law that prohibits older adults from working more than one shift. The other issue is the use of social media to enhance stereotypes about age using viral acts. The effect is that people perceive the acts as helpful to older people whereas they are dehumanizing to them.
Critique and Evaluation
An important aging issue presented in the articles focuses on access to job opportunities for older adults. Work openings are essential because the social changes that occur as a result of people retiring can affect their well-being and relations with family members (Suh, 2021). Research shows that retirement can lead to the development of depression and other mental illnesses (Kiely et al., 2019). This occurs when elderly people are viewed as incapable of handling certain tasks. Two of the articles note that it is essential for employers to factor in the aged people when recruiting. Another important issue is that elderly people are depicted as always in need of special support or help, which has led to random acts of kindness. These actions may be interpreted as stereotyping aged people as lonely which can affect their well-being.
The aging issue can be addressed by changing the mindset of people regarding the elderly. This is evident in the article by Clayton (2022) where older adults are allowed to work at a restaurant. Actions that positively depict aged people should be encouraged whereas those actions which encourage prejudice need to be discouraged (Yasnita et al., 2020). Raising awareness of ageism in social media can help reduce instances where older adults are stereotyped (Burnes et al., 2019). Another way is to encourage elderly workers to remain longer in the labor force. This will help in providing social benefits to individuals, which will reduce financial pressure on the government. The policies developed to support these initiatives should recognize the dignity and autonomy of older adults. The openings provided to the aged people should be rewarding and meaningful (Previtali et al., 2022). As evidenced in the analysis of the three pieces, prejudice against elderly people at the workplace may limit them from coming forward for new job openings.
Conclusion
In summary, media portrayal of older adults has a significant impact on the way people act and behave towards them. The three news pieces have shown that ageism exists in the workplace and social interactions. The use of social media platforms to advance ageism increases the need to develop more strategies to eradicate prejudice in elderly people. Media can also play an important role in portraying aged people positively as seen in the three examples. Creating awareness on all media platforms can be a strategy that helps educate people about the problem of ageism.
References
ABC News. (2022). Ageism makes life a challenge for older Australians. Web.
Anstey, K., & Ginnivan, N. (2022). Giving out flowers on TikTok: A ‘random act of kindness’ or just benevolent ageism? The New Daily. Web.
Ayalon, L., & Tesch-Römer, C. (2018). Introduction to the Section: Ageism—Concept and Origins. Contemporary Perspectives on Ageism, 19, 1. Web.
Burnes, D., Sheppard, C., Henderson Jr, C. R., Wassel, M., Cope, R., Barber, C., & Pillemer, K. (2019). Interventions to reduce ageism against older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Public Health, 109(8), e1-e9. Web.
Chasteen, A. L., Horhota, M., & Crumley-Branyon, J. J. (2021). Overlooked and underestimated: experiences of ageism in young, middle-aged, and older adults. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 76(7), 1323-1328. Web.
Clayton, R. (2022). Older residents on the Bellarine Peninsula are defying ageism and returning to the workforce. ABC News. Web.
Kiely, K. M., Brady, B., & Byles, J. (2019). Gender, mental health, and ageing. Maturitas, 129, 76-84. Web.
Kroon, A. C., Van Selm, M., Ter Hoeven, C. L., & Vliegenthart, R. (2018). Reliable and unproductive? Stereotypes of older employees in corporate and news media. Ageing & Society, 38(1), 166-191. Web.
O’Loughlin, K., Kendig, H., Hussain, R., & Cannon, L. (2017). Age discrimination in the workplace: The more things change. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 36(2), 98-101. Web.
Previtali, F., Keskinen, K., Niska, M., & Nikander, P. (2022). Ageism in working life: A scoping review on discursive approaches. The Gerontologist, 62(2), e97-e111. Web.
Suh, J. Y. (2021). Age discrimination in the workplace hurts us all. Nature Aging, 1(2), 147-148. Web.
Yasnita, Y., Suryadi, K., Budimansyah, D., & Winataputra, U. S. (2020). Ageism and Disharmonizing: What Can Civic Education Do? Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(2), 520-528.