Representation of Age in the Media

Think back to the last TV show you watched. How many older women appeared as strong and attractive individuals? Was there at least one rebellious teenage character? And a cute baby, perhaps?

We will be studying the varying representations of age in the media.

• We will start by defining the concept of media representation of age.
• Then we will discuss the media representation of children with examples.
• We will move on to the media representation of the young, with a special focus on the negative images of youth in the media.
• Finally, we will mention the positive portrayal of the elderly in the media.

Theory on representations of age in the media

It is important to study representations in media because they impact the audience's perception of themselves, their communities, and entire social groups.

Sociological theory on representations of age in the media attempts to address and study these effects.

Examples of representations of age in the media

Media sociologists have found certain patterns in the representation of age in the media. They specifically focus on three age groups:

• children,

• youth

• and the elderly.

We will look at the media representation of these three groups in more detail, including specific examples, in more detail in the following sections.

Media representation of children

The media often portrays children as vulnerable beings who are in constant need of adult protection or supervision, coinciding with the ways childhood is socially constructed in contemporary society.

Children are depicted as consumers by the advertising industry, probably with a view to socialising them into consumers in adulthood. This increases the pressure on children to consume products and services as they age.

Examples of the representation of childhood in media

British children are usually defined in a positive light in the UK media. The popular stereotypes that are frequently observed in media representations include:

• Children are ‘cute’ – a common stereotype used for babies, featured in commercials promoting baby products, for example.

• ‘Little devils’ – this is a common depiction of child characters in films, dramas, cartoons, etc. For instance, Bart Simpson, a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, is always up to mischief.

• ‘Brilliant’ – this happens in cases where media glorifies child prodigies, or portrays them as heroes for being very intelligent, etc.

• ‘Brave little angels’ – media portrayals of children who face some form of physical challenge, disability, or terminal illness.

• Children are very ‘modern’ or ‘advanced’ – when media focuses on how children are well-informed and have knowledge about a lot of things.

• Victims of crimes – there are media critics who argue that White children who are the unfortunate victim of crimes, e.g. kidnappings, receive more media attention compared to children from other ethnic backgrounds.

• ‘Accessories’ – media stories focus on how celebrities like Angelina Jolie or David Beckham raise their children.

Fig. 1 - You may notice patterns around how children are represented in the media.

Youth and teenage representation in the media

Young people are mostly represented in terms of lifestyle and identity. Industries such as music or fashion, for example, often target their products and services at young people.

Teenage representation in media is sometimes negative - their behaviours are often shown to be a social problem. In these unfavourable portrayals, the challenges faced by teenagers or the positive things they do are neglected.

Examples of youth representation in media

Let's look at some of the predominant patterns concerning teenagers and young people in the media:

• In the UK, print and online mass media e.g. magazines are specifically aimed at young people. Products like fashion accessories, clothes, food, etc. are featured as per the taste of teenagers and other younger demographics.

• Other examples include music and film/TV streaming services, social media networking sites (Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, etc), and clothing and cosmetics companies. All these industries shape their products according to the taste and interests of the youth.

• There are documentaries and fictional TV shows that address the complex issues young people face, e.g. Sex Education or Derry Girls.

• News media often portrays young people as immoral, consequently treating them like folk devils as part of a moral panic. For example, membership of youth in specific ‘deviant’ sub-cultures like Teddy Boys, or the consumption of drugs/binge-drinking creates disapproval in wider society.

Negative representations of youth in the media

Charlotte Kelly (2018) researched the language used by journalists in media representations while portraying young people. She found three major narratives:

• They are dangerous

• They need protection

• They are immature

Content analysis on youth in the media

Wayne et al. (2008) studied the content of more than 2000 news items across all the leading television channels in May 2006. They summarise that the youth are often depicted as a violent threat to society, and their perspectives or opinions are rarely shared.

According to Wayne et al., media conveys a unidimensional picture of young people that encourages fear and condemnation instead of understanding. They further argue that this creates a distraction from the actual challenges and problems that the youth face, such as homelessness, unemployment, and mental health problems.

Representation of older people in the media

Age Concern (2000) pointed out three key stereotypes that are found in media representations of the elderly. Old people are represented as:

• A burden - the elderly are often viewed as a burden on society due to economic factors like costs of pension and healthcare, and physical and social factors e.g. dependency on other younger members of their family to take care of them.

• Mentally challenged - mental deterioration is a commonly featured 'characteristic' of old people - the decline of cognitive functions, for example.

• Grumpy - elderly people are often portrayed as conservative, and resistant to any kind of change.

Positive portrayals of the elderly in the media

Lee et al. (2007) studied the representation of the elderly in adverts. They found that although they were underrepresented - being featured in about 15% of ads - more than 90% of those ads were positive.¹

For example, they were shown as enjoying a second childhood – leading a healthy, active lifestyle by reliving their adolescence and doing things they had otherwise longed for.

In the positive portrayals of the elderly in media, they are often labelled as the golden agers - enjoying their lives to the fullest. Of course, this is not always the case for all groups of older people, as we will explore below.

Gender and class representation among the elderly

Research on media representations suggests that age alone is not what impacts the way the elderly are portrayed. In this context, Newman (2006) points out there is a class division attached to the representation of the elderly in media.

However, female newscaster Anna Ford points out that older men are frequently paired with young women newscasters, excluding older female newsreaders. This also happens in other areas of the media - female actors in films and television shows are often sidelined once they pass a certain age, often 40, while older male actors' careers are untouched.

Recent studies suggest that media producers may be working on how to better represent the elderly, as this age group may have extra money to consume goods, products, and services.