Consciously or not, much of the US media reinforces ageism, according to an article posted by the University of Florida College of Medicine. It quotes analysis of a 1.1 billion word media database that found six times as many negative descriptions of older adults as positive or neutral ones. And it notes that “terms like “OK boomer”, popularised on TikTok and “geriatric oligarchy” can be seen as “offensive epithets that sell older generations short”, adding that older adults represent 46% of the US population but only 15% of news and social media site images.”Media ageism doesn’t stay on the screen. It seeps into doctor’s offices and boardrooms. Symptoms get dismissed as ‘just getting old’ instead of investigated. Once unemployed, older workers face significant barriers to reemployment.” it also creates “real, measurable harm” – psychological, behavioural and phyisioogical. .
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