How Media Ageism Shapes Our Views of Aging
Feeble, grouchy, out of touch, forgetful, stubborn: These ageist stereotypes of older people show up everywhere. But where do these views come from?
The media plays a large role in shaping our views — accurate or not — about aging and older adults. This creates insulting terminology, inadequate representation and negative or inaccurate depictions.
Let’s explore some examples of media ageism and possible silver linings, including incremental changes and the opportunity to combat ageism as an advocate for older adults.
How Does the Media Contribute to Ageism?
Media has a broader reach today than ever before. Television (high-definition broadcast, cable and streaming) reaches 97% of American households: about 315 million people! Add in the internet, with its social media platforms and endless entertainment and news choices, and the media’s influence becomes impossible to ignore.
With this reach and influence, the media has tremendous power to shape how we think — for better or worse. Let’s look at some examples of ageism in the media.
Examples of Ageist Language in Media
What one person finds offensive, another might not. Many terms related to aging carry negative or potentially offensive undertones:
Terms like “OK boomer” (popularized on TikTok) and “geriatric oligarchy” can be seen as offensive epithets that sell older generations short.
Negative Stereotypes of Older Adults in Media
On-screen depictions of people aged 50+ are scarce in media. Older adults represent 46% of the U.S. population, but only 15% of news and social media site images. In fact, people over 50 make up less than 25% of characters in top movies and TV shows.
When older adults do appear on-screen, media depictions often focus on decline. Aging is shown as a disease, marked by increasingly poor health, fading relevance and waiting out the days in nursing homes. Characters are reduced to stereotypes:
- Passive
- Frail
- Vulnerable
- Confused
- Grumpy
- Technologically challenged
Obviously, in real life, not all older adults sit around yelling, “Get off my lawn!” (A round of applause for 63-year-old Tom Cruise, still doing his own “Mission Impossible” stunts, please.) They have complex personalities and diverse interests.
A more inclusive picture would highlight older adults’:
- Wisdom and experience
- Active lifestyles
- Strong family and community connections
- Ability to age in place
- Ongoing careers
- Interest in lifelong learning
Research analyzing a 1.1-billion-word media database found six times as many negative descriptors of older adults as positive or neutral ones: a clear pattern of media ageism. These negative portrayals can shape stereotyped, unfair and harmful views of aging and older adults.
What Are the 4 Types of Ageism?
Ageism takes different forms. The World Economic Forum identifies four types that operate at different levels:
What Are the Real-World Effects of Media Ageism?
Media ageism creates real, measurable harm. When older adults absorb negative stereotypes from media, the damage goes deeper than hurt feelings. Research shows three pathways to worse health:
1. Psychological: Internalized ageism fuels stress, anxiety and depression as people expect and accept decline as inevitable.
2. Behavioral: When you believe aging means becoming frail and irrelevant, why bother exercising or scheduling preventive care? Negative self-perceptions reduce healthy behaviors.
3. Physiological: The chronic stress from living with stereotype threat elevates cardiovascular responses and speeds up cognitive decline.
A systematic review of 422 studies across 45 countries found that 96% documented health problems linked to ageism. And older adults who internalize negative stereotypes live 7.5 years less than those with positive views of aging.
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. In a 2024 survey, 41% of displaced workers over 55 hadn’t found new work, compared to just 22% of workers ages 25-54. This, despite often having more experience and stronger qualifications.
Is Media Ageism Getting Better?
Yes and no. A few years ago, a Hollywood insider said ageism was “the worst [he’d] ever seen it.” Classic shows with older leads like “The Golden Girls” and “Murder, She Wrote” have largely disappeared from primetime lineups.
But there are signs of change. The 2024 “Matlock” reboot cast 77-year-old Kathy Bates in the lead role. Ted Danson, 76, now stars in Netflix’s “A Man on the Inside,” about a retired professor going undercover in a retirement home. And major language style authorities — including the American Medical Association, the Associated Press, and The New York Times — are actively phasing out ageist terminology.
Still, progress is slow and uneven. AI technology often overlooks older adults’ needs entirely. And while some cultures deeply honor their elders, American media representation remains stubbornly limited.
The bottom line? Media ageism is starting to shift, but it’s far from solved. Understanding these patterns — and working to change them — is exactly what professionals in aging studies do.
Combat Ageism With a Graduate Program in Innovative Aging Studies
Give older adults the care and respect they deserve and become an advocate who inspires those qualities in others. The University of Florida offers programs that can launch you into meaningful, impactful careers in aging:
- Online Master’s Degree in Innovative Aging Studies (30 credits)
- Explore aging from multiple perspectives for a broad, practical understanding of the field.
- Online Master’s Degree in Medical Physiology and Aging (30 credits)
- Prepare for the MCAT with a foundation in medical physiology.
Not ready for a degree program yet? Try our 15-credit online Graduate Certificate in Aging and Geriatric Practice.
Understanding ageism is just the start. Professionals in aging studies work to change these patterns through policy, education and direct care. Want to see if one of these programs fits your goals? Check out UF’s online medical sciences programs.
Sources:
https://asaging.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ageism-Awareness-Day-Fact-Sheet-2025.pdf
https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/social-sciences-and-humanities/aging-challenges-ageism
https://www.mentalhealthandaging.com/common-topics/what-is-ageism-how-does-it-affect-health/
https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/aging-experience/demographics/aging-media-representation/
https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/aging-experience/age-representation-in-online-media-images/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-023-01671-5
