Stay clear of the geronticidal language
Changing the way we look at old age means rejecting the prejudices and discrimination embedded in the social imaginary
Elena Del Barrio, co-director and researcher at Matia Institute, a Spanish research institute specializing in gerontology with a psycho-social approach
I’m spending another summer longing for the warm light of the Mediterranean Sea and for my rituals, interwoven in decades-long friendship with that corner of the world. In my mind, I play and replay a movie I know too well. It begins with driving the car up the ramp of the ferry which leaves at sunset. It feels like being inside a massive toy - the clong-clong of metal parts and the yellow pipes running along the inside body of the ship. The cars are cramped in the hull and the passengers ignore each other (so Italian!). We dump the hand luggage in the cabin, take a lift to the deck, order Aperol spritz that will be served in plastic glasses and wait for the harbor of Genoa to pass by in front of our eyes as the ferry leaves the dock. Up on the deck, there’s a warm wind and a promise of happiness in the air, the occasional couple walking a tiny dog on the iron floor painted a light blue color. After we leave the coast behind, I lay on the bunk bed and the rumbling of the engines lulls me to sleep.
With the smell of cappuccino, the morning brings the awe of the golden rocks of Sardinia contrasting with the blue sea, some specks of sun floating on the water. After having shared the ferry for the night, the passengers are jolly and chatty. We so look forward to driving along countryside roads, the windows down and the car full of the smell of local herbs. Just before turning yellow, the tall grass is dusty green, and here and there a cow munches its breakfast lazily. In the distance, tall trees with spotted trunks raise their branches to the wind. And I think, I’m here. On this island which I try to possess like a salmon, going against the current of tourists. I wear a straw hat and leave the house in the early mornings as I can't stand the scorching sun, the dazzling light, the oily smell of sunscreen. Alternatively, I descend to the shore at sunset, when the beach is empty and the light has warm metallic reflections on the surface of the sea.
Speaking with Elena Del Barrio, co-director and researcher at Matia Institute, a Spanish research institute specializing in gerontology, past coordinator and now participating member of the “Image and Aging,” a working group of the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology, brings me back to Sardinia. It’s not just because of our common European roots, but because she mentioned the number 70, the age of the ritual killings of fathers on this island. Carried out in the name of Chronos, the God of Time, the ritual in Sardinia went by the name of “Accabadura.” It was performed by the oldest son who walked his father to a cliff and fed him an autochthonous plant (Oenanthe crocata), a sort of hemlock with tiny white flowers arranged in small bunches. Its toxic effects result in an unnatural grimace, the so-called “sardonic smile” that bears traces of the island's name. Approaching death in fear and cowardice would have been shameful, hence the use of the plant. Not all the over 70s were destined to the cliff though, only those whose qualities could not be lost. When the practice was in place over two thousand years ago, it was believed that the killer would have absorbed the qualities of the father for the survival of society.
It’s telling how the present obliteration of old age in the media stems from the inability to see qualities in old age and from the rejection rather than the adoption of these very qualities that granted the survival of society in ancient times.
What is the Image and Aging Group and what is its scope?
The Image and Aging Group is a working group of the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology. It was created in 2012 out of the concern expressed by some of its members regarding the representation of the older population in the media. Its goal is to identify stereotyped views and to promote more realistic representations and images that show the existing diversity among the older population.
What are the main issues in the representation of old age that the group has identified?
A stereotype is an exaggerated and simplistic representation of reality and this applies to the representation of old age too. The most common stereotypes we identified refer to social isolation, physical and cognitive impairment, lack of activity, and the idea of being a burden. While these stereotyped views often go unnoticed by the public, they have a real impact on the life of the older generations. These images contribute to the promotion of negative behaviors such as undervaluation, exclusion, abuse, and rejection.
Media play a key role in the image dissemination in any of its outlets. These outlets, in turn, have the power to teach and inform, affecting the entire population. Media creates opinions about the reality that surrounds us and that applies to older population too, loaded as it is with stereotypes. For a long time, the image of old age has been negative. Aging was seen as the last step before death, and even today it is represented as a contrast to the values of youth, alluding to decadence, wear and tear, passivity, and illness. On the other hand, an idealized image linked to the values of tradition, security, wisdom, is also used, especially in advertising.
These two antagonistic ways of seeing reality fall equally into reductionism and have their origin in stereotypes of the old age and the older generations. Stereotypes, both positive and negative, paint a simplistic picture of a population group and a life process that is actually very heterogeneous.
Old age is blacked out from mainstream media. The older you are, the more invisible you get. Even the absence in the representation is sending us a subliminal message. Do you agree?
Undoubtedly. It has been more than fifty years since Simone de Beauvoir, in her book The Coming of Age, denounced the existence of a "conspiracy of silence" towards the older generations. This conspiracy nullifies their presence, their voice, and their face in every area of society. All issues related to old age are blanketed in "a kind of shameful secret about which it is indecent to speak." For de Beauvoir, this attitude was bred by our consumer society with a "happy" conscience, a society that rejects any feeling of guilt and ignores any unsettling element that has the power to disturb the tranquility in which it dwells.
What are the consequences of stereotyping the older generations?
Negative imaginary not only directly affects older people, but it also impacts society and how it treats older people. There is a depersonalization of older adults. We see how discrimination against the older generations is emerging in the political and social debate. Equal access to healthcare resources (think about ICUs), the right to leave one’s home or residence, are on the line. For example, in the light of the pandemic, an MIT study concluded that the confinement of older and at-risk people would allow the rest of the population to lead a normal life and that, in turn, would restart the economy. But this approach doesn’t take into account what poses a greater risk to the life of the older person: the risk of contagion or the social isolation.
Changing the way we look at old age entails a change in the way we perceive and treat the older population, because it means to reject the prejudice and discrimination embedded in the social imaginary. Ultimately, this change in the representation affects the autonomy, empowerment, well-being, and quality of life of the older population and of our society at large.
These images you describe are so ingrained with our culture. What changes would you recommend?
There are practical things that we can do, like encouraging media to produce more realistic representations of the older population. We can pay attention to the language we use, promoting the dissemination of positive and constructive language. We should endorse initiatives that value the contributions of older generations and we should participate in the discussion, analysis, research, and intervention in this area.
Do you notice any change in the representation of old age?
In recent years, there has been a change in the image of older adults. We see more diverse profiles. These changes were actively promoted by the new generations of older people who rejected and broke free from the traditional stereotypes of old age. Advertising has been the first industry to adapt to social changes. Consumers want to recognize themselves in advertising and the industry is mirroring the changes that happen in society. In this sense, while advertising continues to perpetuate stereotypes, it has given them a positive turn. For example, many of the older people depicted in advertising are not simply associated with traditional and family representation, but with a series of positive stereotypes that include wisdom, affection, and protection. Older athletes appear in soft drink campaigns or older people with a sense of style are the protagonists of campaigns for prestigious fashion labels. Some have shown a never-portrayed-before older élite. And greater diversity has also been taken into account.
From my point of view, it is very interesting to analyze campaigns that are aimed at the population at large and to see how older adults are portrayed. Advertising is building a more diverse image, although it still risks falling into the trap of idealization or representing a polarized reality; i.e. black and white, positive or negative.
How has Covid-19 impacted on the representation of the older population?
The Covid-19 crisis has definitely had a very negative impact on the social imaginary about old age. The negative stereotypes of homogenization and fragility had the biggest influence and 70 years of age is now considered the threshold for the standardization of older adults. All those who have reached that age have been relegated to a single characteristic: being a population at risk. This label has been repeated over and over again in the media, unifying under the same umbrella several generations of people with very different lifestyles, health profiles, and identities. The ensuing stigma has affected many older people individually.
Studies have already shown that having negative perceptions about aging itself could lead to a shorter life expectancy. Specifically, it can translate in 7.5 years less compared with a person who approaches old age in a positive way. Many people over 70 may not feel fragile, at risk, or perceived as having poor health until now. Continued reiteration in the media, in politics, in families, and in society in general of this message - over 70 means being at risk - can promote negative self-perception and foster the famous self-fulfilling prophecy.
In general, during the pandemic there has been a huge setback in the social image of old age. The social image of old age has suffered greatly and has regressed in many ways. Not only because being over 70 has been marked with a label of a population at risk, but also because this narrative has promoted a wider gap between generations. Ageism has affected negative attitudes both for the young and the old generations. In turn, they are considered victims and executioners. Many authors have highlighted this gap between the generations and warned that it will affect their relationships in the future.
Finally, the health crisis has put old age in the social, political and even ethical debate, giving rise to ageist discourses in all these areas. Several investigations show how the COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated exclusion and prejudice against the older generations. From the beginning, the COVID-19 outbreak has been presented as "the problem of the older generation" promoting a clear division by ages. In this sense, we have allowed the creation of a “geronticidal language” with hashtags like #Grandmakiller, used by young people claiming their desire for unconfined life even at the risk to other people’s lives.
Because we grow up in an ageist culture, it is difficult to imagine what a better representation of old age would look like. What guidelines would you suggest?
The new generations of older people are the ones who have been calling with the greatest force for a change in the representation and interpretation of aging. Their voices rose during the pandemic, too. Some of the keys to achieve a better representation of old age are empathy, putting oneself in the place of the other person, active listening, and promoting and strengthening the relationships between generations. These elements would allow us to move away from either the undervaluation and the veneration of old age and help us to find a middle ground in equal treatment. We all give and receive from society, from others; we are interdependent beings. For this reason, we need to rekindle the relationships across the whole generational span. For example, we all want to get out of this crisis. We need to ask how we can do it together.
The World Health Organization has recently released the “World Report on Ageism” which highlights ways of approaching the issues for policies and legislation, educational interventions, and contact between generations. But the biggest force of change in the ageist discourses and against the stereotypes are the older generations. They are the ones who reject labels and break molds, claiming their own identity away from their chronological age: a piece of information that less and less serves to describe a person. Following in the footsteps of the sociologist Zygmunt Bauman, we live in a liquid society, with liquid relationships and where ages are also diluted. The identity of the person is configured by variables that are increasingly related to lifestyle or consumption and less to chronological age itself.
