Representation

Representation of Age

How Age Is Represented In Media

There are four outlined categories of age highlighted in society, these include children, teenagers, adults and the elderly. Age is represented to society in many ways, people get stereotyped by others due to what other people around them think because who doesn't want to fit in right? There is both negative and positive representation, both which influence the opinion of others. Not all stereotypes are  necessarily shown in the media however the representation of minor stories contributes to the views of certain age groups in society. Representations are constructed by the media to elicit a response from an audience, these responses are what structure the ageist views of society today.

The Elderly

The elderly are predominantly depicted as sweet and vulnerable. News stories that show elderly as crime victims are prime examples this. Headlines like 'elderly women scammed out of her life savings' create an aspect of remorse, Such stories also perpetuate the stereotype of elders as being warm, but incompetent figures who deserve our pity. Older people are characterized as vulnerable and in need of protection and charity. This stereotype can be problematic as not all elderly people have seen the worst of their days and are still going strong, however the media portrays this image to society and how the elderly group are victimized more harshly than just individuals giving the impression to others that all elderly citizens are the same.

Young People

Teenagers in society are portrayed in many ways. Everybody has the image of moody, spotty, hormonal individuals when the word teenager is mentioned right? Many people may have other views which are gang related, these stereotypes for example, would have strongly been influenced by the London riots. The riots largely impacted views of society and portrayed that most teenagers were at fault, many innocent people got the blame of some of the damage when in fact they where innocent.  The older generation often categorize younger people as being rude, thoughtless and disrespectful.  This is not helped by their portrayal in the media and leads to preconceived expectations of how they will behave.  Often these expectations are unfounded, and means that younger people have to work harder to gain respect.

People are much deeper than stereotypes. That's the first place our minds go. Then you get to know them and you hear their stories, and you say, 'I'd have never guessed.'Carson Kressley