Ageism on Twitter during the COVID‐19 pandemic

The current study investigates older adults’ perceptions of ageism in the United States during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Using tenets of Stereotype Embodiment Theory and the Behaviors from Intergroup Affect and Stereotypes Map framework, we sought to (a) examine whether older adults experienced ageism as self‐relevant during the pandemic and (b) understand whether older adults experienced certain media messages and interpersonal behaviors during the pandemic and interpreted them as being motivated by potentialpaternalistic age stereotypes. Older adults aged 65 and older recruited from the community ( n = 73) participated in a semi‐structured interview about their perspectives on ageism toward older adults during the pandemic. Participants also completed an online survey about their experiences with a range of messages and interpersonal behaviors throughout the pandemic. We thematically analyzed interview data and identified three primary themes: self‐relevance of age stereotypes; awareness of negative, overgeneralized portrayals of older adults; and defenses against self‐relevance of age stereotypes. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and frequency counts and suggest that participants attributed messages and behaviors potentially imbued with paternalistic ageism as motivated primarily by care and concern for older adults. The findings add to the field's understanding of older adults’ experiences and perceptions of ageism in the media and in interpersonal behaviors in the context of COVID‐19.

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Older adults’ perceptions and experiences of ageism during the COVID‐19 pandemic

McDarby

Picchiello

et al. 2022

“…This line of research indicated that the COVID‐19 pandemic is a fertile ground for scapegoating and prejudice not only towards several ethnic minorities (Esses & Hamilton, 2021 ) but also towards age‐based categories such as older people (for a literature review see, Silva et al., 2021 ). The emphasis posed on the role of age in susceptibility and mortality rates to COVID‐19 has been accompanied by the representations of older population as the most vulnerable and useless segment of the society (Ayalon, 2020 ; Fraser et al., 2020 ; Ng et al., 2021 ). Therefore, the public discourses erroneously instigated that COVID‐19 is a problem of older population, questioned about older adults’ contribution to the society, and exacerbated age‐division and intergenerational conflicts (Ayalon et al., 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“You are stealing our present”: Younger people's ageism towards older people predicts attitude towards age‐based COVID‐19 restriction measures

Spaccatini

Giovannelli

Pacilli

2022

The COVID‐19 pandemic emerged to be a fertile ground for age‐based prejudice and discrimination. In particular, a growing literature investigated ageism towards older people at the individual and the interpersonal level, providing evidence of its prevalence, antecedents and negative consequences. However, less much is known on the phenomenon at the intergroup level. To fill this gap, the present correlational research investigated the effects of younger people's endorsement of ageism towards older people on the attitude towards COVID‐19 restriction measures primarily targeted to older (vs. younger) population. In the autumn of 2020, five hundred and eighty‐two Italian participants (83.3% females; M age = 20.02, SD age = 2.83) completed an online questionnaire. Results revealed that the younger people's endorsement of ageism towards older people increased the attribution of culpability for the severity of COVID‐19 restriction measures to older (vs. younger) people, which, in turn positively affected the attitudes towards older (vs. younger) people isolation and support for selective lockdown on older population only. The main contributions of the study, limitations, future research directions, and practice implications are discussed.

“…Indeed, there have been suggestions that discrimination toward older individuals increased during the pandemic (Malik et al., 2020 ). Yet there were also signs of increased concern and special treatment for older members of society (e.g., dedicated shopping hours, organized delivery of food and supplies; Monahan et al., 2020 ; Ng et al., 2022 ), though these actions may have inadvertently reinforced stereotypes of older people's incompetence (Monahan et al., 2020 ). In addition, reactions to COVID‐19‐related derogation of older individuals included reassertions of their worth and discussions of core beliefs about fairness (Barrett et al., 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, older individuals may be treated as lacking independence and spoken to in oversimplified or patronizing ways (Giles & Ogay, 2007 ; Nelson, 2005 ; Ryan et al., 1995 ). In the context of the pandemic, this may also have included well‐intentioned helping behaviors that signaled to older people that they are dependent and helpless (Derrer‐Merk et al., 2022 ; McDarby et al., 2022 ; Monahan et al., 2020 ; Ng et al., 2022 ). Research has shown that these type of behaviors (i.e., benevolent ageism) negatively affect the health, well‐being and autonomy of older adults (Baltes & Wahl, 1996 ; Cary et al., 2017 ; Derrer‐Merk et al., 2022 ; Langer & Rodin, 1976 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ageism toward older adults during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Intergenerational conflict and support

Sutter

Vaswani

Denice

et al. 2022

A cross‐national representative survey in Canada and the U.S. examined ageism toward older individuals during the first year of the COVID‐19 pandemic, including ageist consumption stereotypes and perceptions of older people's competence and warmth. We also investigated predictors of ageism, including economic and health threat, social dominance orientation, individualism and collectivism, social distancing beliefs, and demographics. In both countries, younger adults were more likely to hold ageist consumption stereotypes, demonstrating intergenerational conflict about the resources being used by older people. Similarly, young adults provided older people with the lowest competence and warmth scores, though adults of all ages rated older individuals as more warm than competent. Particularly among younger individuals, beliefs about group‐based dominance hierarchies, the importance of competition, and the costs of social distancing predicted greater endorsement, whereas beliefs about interdependence and the importance of sacrificing for the collective good predicted lower endorsement of ageist consumption stereotypes. Support for group‐based inequality predicted lower perceived competence and warmth of older individuals, whereas beliefs about interdependence and the importance of sacrificing for the collective good predicted higher perceived competence and warmth of older individuals. Implications for policies and practices to reduce intergenerational conflict and ageist perceptions of older individuals are discussed.