buy custom Medias Portrayal of Aging essay

buy custom Media's Portrayal of Aging essay The media continues to be a powerful tool in the society to the extent of being considered a significant means of socialization. Although the media cannot dictate what the public should think, however it can show what the public thinks about. Coupled with the societies socialization process, outlook on life, upbringing and personal experiences, the media plays a crucial role in the way people view each other, especially the elderly. Although there are many forms of media, television has taken the center stage (Nussbaum 2000). TV has become the greatest source of news or information around the world. As a result, people have become accustomed to ideas, impressions, sounds and images that reflect a societys attitude towards aging. Medias portrayal of aging has changed over time, but in the recent decades, the media has portrayed the aging as a negative aspect in persons life (Nussbaum 2000). The current paper thus evaluates the medias portrayal of aging in the contemporary world. The p aper discusses how television has continued to portray aging in the world that seems to value a youthful generation. Older people have traditionally been viewed as a source of knowledge, and experience, but the media has portrayed them as a burden to society. Television has become an important platform for communicating the meaning and experience of aging from one generation to another. TV has played a critical role in shaping the agenda for discussing aging issues in the society. TVs portrayal of aging not only showcases a widespread ageism (discrimination or prejudice on the basis of a persons age) in the society, but continues to reinforce negative stereotypes (Nussbaum 2000). However, when there is an intention of portraying aging in a positive manner, the main aim is always to communicate anti-aging information. Negative stereotypes in TV are reinforced mainly through advertisements. For example, the online cartoon entitled Honesty on the Internet depicts aging very negatively. The commercial shows the elderly man and woman who appear to be out of shape sittng in their underclothes. Worse still is their conversation which gives the impression that old people must lie so as to make them appealing. The advertisement portrays the elderl y as unattractive people who cannot take care of themselves as evidenced by the cans of beer, junk of food and cigarette surrounding them (Nussbaum 2000). In May 2011, MSNBC showcased a report that depicted disconnect between American fashion magazines and their aging readers. Through the analysis of editorial and advertisement images used in the media, women over 40 years are sparingly used. This is despite the fact that there are approximately 23% of elderly readers (Harrington 2014). The broadcast also showed that even in magazines targeting the old, images and impressions made present thin, youthful, wrinkle-free ideal that is impossible to retain later in life. TV has thus portrayed aging as an undesirable stage in ones life, and one should go a great length to continue being a youthful person. The view of aging in such advertisement shows that any age-related physical appearance is highly unwelcome in the modern society and all means available should be evaluated to erase such changes. Many TV advertisements around the world have also continued to reinforce the idea that older adults must be super seniors. To communicate this message, many TV channels run advertisements that portray the elderly as wealthy, healthy people who have been able to defy aging. Such advertisement distorts the reality and only continues to present some negative stereotype in the society. There are two major theories on the medias impact of aging. The first theory is social learning theory, which proposes that younger generations are highly influenced by the content aired on the media. According to the social learning theory, the media can shape a young persons mind. A young person whose main source of information is television will end up assuming that aging is an undesirable stage in ones life. In the cultivation theory, content in most of the modern media can shape peoples perception of the world. With TV being the largest source of information, it bombards the views with various issuues related to aging. The presence of youth and middle class people only shows that the media has completely or to a great extent ignored the elderly. However, the elderly comes into the limelight when TV commercials want to portray a negative aspect of aging (Harrington 2014). A wide range of literature review confirms that the mass media has portrayed aging in a very stereotypical manner. A theoretical rationale on media portrayal of aging comes out of ethnolinguistic vitality theory, which has continued to emphasize the important role that the media plays as an element in groups, social influence and strength (Harrington 2014). Political power remains an identifiable figure in the media. The media, especially TV, has represented older adults political power as almost omnipotent. The media has portrayed groups such as AARP in Washington as very powerful, striking fear into legislators with threats of how their older constituents will vote based on senior-related policy issues (Harrington 2014). The AARP undoubtedly does exercise political power in Washington, because it is a respected authority seeking the recognition issues related to the elderly. The organization has the capability of mobilizing a large numbers of seniors on specific issues. However, when it comes to voting, it has been observed that the elderly do not vote as a block. Their voting or political attitudes are very diverse just like those of other groups in the society (Harrington 2014). In conclusion, the modern day media, especially TV, has continued to feature stereotypes that depict the aging through a lens of diminished and a declining value. As a result, the media portrays the elderly as a burden to society. The continued use of stereotype by media through the use of a negative language about aging has shaped, reinforced and made the society reflect or see aging as an undesirable phase in a persons life. Therefore, the presence of a single story or one-sided information about aging in television has distorted the reality of aging. The results of stereotyping have thus affected the entire society including places of work, households and healthcare provision. Buy custom Media's Portrayal of Aging essay