Perspective of Aging

HCS 433
September 17, 2012
Sue Cox

When it comes to stereotypes there are many that are stated about several different groups
of people but they are not always true. Stereotypes are what people conclude about specific types
of individuals with certain ways of doing things or acting a certain way but it may not accurately
depict reality or the truth. There are many stereotypes out there that depict how we treat and see
the older population. I have come across stereotypes that everyone deals with on a daily basis. It
has led me to re-think stereotypes and the older population. The media is a large component of
how society sees the older population and has many stereotypes about the elderly on a daily
basis. The media such as television, movies, and commercials do not give an accurate
presumption about the older population. We will look at their perspectives and how they portray
the older population to determine if they are accurate or not.
Address stereotypes in the media (advertising, films and television)
In the media stereotypes of the older population consist of overviews about deteriorating
well-being, joy, and desirability. The elderly are often considered as insatiable old folks who
unjustifiably exhaust our public resources by means of Medicare and Social Security. Different
media outlets try to depict that the elderly age groups are not worthy of humane treatment. If
older people are shown in the media they are shown in a stereotypical manner or often not
included altogether. In order to guarantee the sources and aids that are sincerely required by
some elders, supporters time and again try to produce media attention that calls attention to the
defenselessness of older people.
Identify how the older adult is portrayed
In advertising they show the older population as very few ads 15% to be exact,
unrepresented compared to younger adults and not shown much during the evening shows. Older
adults tended to play incidental roles in the advertisements and to promote a circumscribed,

stereotyped set of products and services such as adult diapers, medical device commercials,
nursing home care ads, and life insurance policies.
In films and movies they show the older population as being negative and demeaning
with men being treated better than women. In movies/films the older populations of men are
characterized as distinguished-looking with graying hair and the older women color their hair to
look younger. In movies the men are cast with much younger actresses therefore feeding into the
illusion that men are more sensual than women of their same age. In movies it is the rule that
older male stars are usually cast with much younger female co-stars.
In the news the older population is shown as being warm, but incapable figures that
warrant our pity and help. The news characterizes the elderly as at risk children that need shelter
and charitable aid. The news media in a way takes the opinions, affairs, and involvements of the
elderly to be disregarded and overlooked. The media is brought to the public by supposedly
goodhearted supporters working to aid the elderly but are carelessly furthering the stereotypes.
Thoughts
After doing the research on how the media depicts the older population I am torn. In
some way the media degrades and demoralizes the elderly in the regard that the information is
not correct or that it is bias. Yes there are instances were some elderly people are angry or cranky
or just do not have the time for new technology but that does not mean that all older adults are
that way. Just because some elderly are tired all the time or have ailments that limit their abilities
to do certain things does not mean that is for all elders. The media shows the older population as
needy, unable to provide for themselves, disoriented and in need of constant care and services.
There are several older adults that make decisions, are very active, balance all of their own
finances and live on their own very efficiently.

In conclusion dealing with people just because of what you have heard or what was seen
is not how you deal with people on average. No one should be judged by what the media
portrays about a person or group or subjected to discrimination based on someone elses
opinion. Stereotypes do not define or make a person and should not be used as such. All in all
stereotypes do matter and are should not be used to define a person or group. We as a society
have an accountability to decide whether or not to treat someone the way society views and treats
them.

References
Carpenter, B., Lee, M. M., & Meyers, L. S. (2007, January). Representations of older adults in
Television advertisements. Journal of Aging Studies, 21(1), 23-30.

Malkind, S. (2012). Aging Services of California. Retrieved from

http://www.aging.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1871
Walker, J. (2010). Aging Watch. Retrieved from http://www.agingwatch.com/?p=439