Managing a positive impression: Self-presentation among octogenarians

Róin, Tóra; Petersen, Maria Skaalum; Róin, Ása

doi:10.1016/j.jaging.2021.100968

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…These findings raise the question of how to understand the linguistic resources used when discussing individual experiences of loneliness and ESR states in older age, and how to distinguish between them in older adults’ accounts of these experiences. We argue that these findings are in line with findings from Róin et al (2021) , where octogenarians used various terms to present positive images of themselves, focusing on downplaying health problems through humor, comparing themselves with others to present themselves as more active and younger than their chronological age ( Róin et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Sense-Making of Loneliness and Exclusion From Social Relations Among Older Adults in Sweden

Ågren

Pavlidis

2023

The Gerontologist

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Background and Objectives Loneliness and exclusion from social relations (ESR) are frequently addressed as public health issues for older adults. Public discourses potentially influence how loneliness and ESR are understood in society and experienced by the individual. The aim of this study was to analyze how older adults in different parts of Sweden use the discourses and concepts available to them to describe experiences of ESR and loneliness, and how these descriptions are used to construct a self-identity. Research Design and Methods Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 individuals (14 men, 16 women) aged 67 to 87 years and living in Sweden. Emphasis was, in line with perspectives of discursive psychology, on how individuals draw on discourses to make sense of experiences. The empirical material was analyzed through an inductive process where we were open to finding concepts and themes. Results Most participants emphasized the importance of not being lonely, considered achievable through maintaining an active lifestyle. “Othering” was taking place, where a general image of a “lonely” older adult was referred to when speaking about "others" loneliness. Those who expressed feelings of loneliness related these feelings to loss, being omitted and other difficult life circumstances. Discussion and Implications States of ESR were discussed more comfortably than loneliness, while various linguistic resources were used to distance themselves from loneliness. These findings indicate the need for further studies elaborating on how older adults make sense of ESR and loneliness and what implications this has for older adults’ well-being and identity-making.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Sense-Making of Loneliness and Exclusion From Social Relations Among Older Adults in Sweden

Ågren

Pavlidis

2023

The Gerontologist

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“…Martin and colleagues [ 26 ] discovered that self-presentational concerns among older persons were mostly in relation to physical ability—whether they appear competent and independent—and to norms regarding age-appropriate behaviors. Another study found that older adults managed others’ impressions of them by using humor to downplay health problems, by engaging in downward social comparisons to appear more active than others in the same age bracket, as well as by making reference to compliments made by third parties [ 27 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Granfluencers on TikTok: Factors linked to positive self-portrayals of older adults on social media

Indran

2023

PLoS ONE

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Lately, there have been news reports on the rise of older content creators on various social media outlets. However, while journalists have picked up on this topic, scholars have been slow to accord it any attention. Our study delves into this topic and looks at how older TikTokers’ self-perceptions of aging are expressed in their videos. Specifically, we analyze the valence of the content of these videos and factors associated with older adults’ self-presentations. TikTok has only gone from strength to strength since its global launch in 2017. Even as stay-at-home orders and safe distancing protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a dramatic increase in the consumption of media across various platforms, TikTok stands out among its rivals in terms of growth and user activity. Given its wide reach, content on TikTok has the potential to influence public opinion. We collated 1,382 videos created by TikTokers aged 60 and above with at least 100,000 followers. These videos amassed over 3.5 billion views. Following previous studies, three raters coded each video for valence (negative-neutral-positive). We found that women created twice as many videos as men. The middle-old group (ages 75–84) created more videos than the young-old and oldest-old groups. Positive videos outnumbered negative ones by 10 times. As hypothesized, themes linked to positive self-portrayals were ‘physical functioning’ (p < .001) and ‘social interaction’ (p < .001). Conversely, ‘cognitive functioning’ (p < .001) evidenced a negative association, controlling for age and gender of the user. This is one of the first studies on older adults’ self-portrayals of aging on TikTok. Our findings suggest that older adults tend to portray themselves positively across various domains on the application. If used purposefully, TikTok may serve as a promising platform for improving public perceptions of old age.

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Introduction: Sense of Purpose, Active Ageing and Age Discrimination

Paoletti

2024

Creating New Meanings for Old Age

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Managing a positive impression: Self-presentation among octogenarians

Cited by 5 publications

References 49 publications

Sense-Making of Loneliness and Exclusion From Social Relations Among Older Adults in Sweden

Sense-Making of Loneliness and Exclusion From Social Relations Among Older Adults in Sweden

Granfluencers on TikTok: Factors linked to positive self-portrayals of older adults on social media

Introduction: Sense of Purpose, Active Ageing and Age Discrimination

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