How Media Portrayals of Aging Affect Older Adults

Authored by: Carla Hu

Art by: Julia Chen

Who watches more TV, young adults or older adults? Surprisingly, older adults spend three times more of their waking time watching TV than young adults [1]. This is about an average of 6.4 hours a day spent watching television [2]. Despite the high consumer spending and media consumption of older adults on movies and television, older adults are often not well represented in media. A recent survey by AARP found that only 7% of respondents felt that movies or TV accurately represent people aged 50 and older [3]. Furthermore, other studies have shown that although older adults watch more TV than younger people, they enjoy it less [1]. TV and movies are an important form of leisure for older adults; however, their negative representation in the media and effects on health are often overlooked. 

Currently, watching television is the most frequent leisure activity in later life, and these activities can have significant impacts that either  enhance or deter physical, cognitive, and emotional functioning [2]. Older adults often use television and media to compensate for their lack of social interaction, and this activity increases the probability of being sedentary and having health problems in later life [2]. Therefore, if television and movies serve a role in loneliness and well-being, it is important that older adults are portrayed by the media in inclusive and accurate representations. This may help prevent television-viewing from feeling unfulfilling. Instead, watching television can provide perspectives on aging that encourage the establishment of more social ties, greater social activity, and the adoption of healthy behaviors. In fact, many seniors want to see a change in the representation of older adults in television and movies. In 2025, an AARP survey of 1,010 adults aged 50 and older found that 69% of adults over 50 believed it was important for movies or TV to accurately represent older adults in both casting and storylines [3]. In addition, 79% of those individuals preferred more stories and characters that reflect the real-life experiences of older adults [3]. This reflects a need for better representation and diverse portrayals of older adults in movies and television. 

In movies and TV, older adults are often not represented or poorly represented. In a study examining 4,288 characters with known ages, it was found that only 10.7% (n = 458) were 60 years of age or older [4]. Furthermore, these characters were predominantly male (73.6%) and white (77.1%), and none of the elderly female characters were associated with STEM fields [4]. These results reinforced negative age-related stereotypes present in TV and movies. Some movies even include explicitly ageist comments in films which can prime stereotypes that harm audiences [4]. The consequences of priming age-related stereotypes have been linked to negative health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline [5]. Stereotypes related to aging may result in severe negative effects on health and well-being for their older adult audience, which reveal the importance of presenting new narratives that accurately reflect the experiences of seniors.

Furthermore, a recent experimental study revealed how portrayals of aging in media can shape how older adults perceive themselves and others [6]. Older adults who were shown negative media frames of aging, such as age-related decline and increased dependency, resulted in an increased self-image but poorer perception of the public image of aging [6]. This perception of the self compared to others is reversed, when older adults are shown highly positive portrayals of aging. For example, seeing active, “ageless” individuals may make older adults feel inadequate, guilty, or pressured that they could not live up to the ideal standard [6]. Therefore, both overly negative and positive stereotypes of aging create standards of comparison that can unsettle older adults' perception of well-being [6]. The importance of authentic, balanced portrayals of older adults is critical to validating the diverse experiences of aging and avoid reinforcing stereotypes or unrealistic ideals about aging.

Television and movies have a critical influence on how aging is perceived and understood by both society and older adults themselves. Despite being frequent consumers of media, older adults are often poorly represented and stereotyped in portrayals that can be overly negative or unrealistically positive. Stereotypes not only shape perceptions of aging but also harm well-being and feelings of inadequacy when older adults cannot live up to those depicted ideals. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the media to present more nuanced, diverse, and authentic depictions of aging. By reflecting a range of older adults' experiences, the media can help combat ageism, prevent priming of age-related stereotypes, and foster healthy perceptions of aging that support the physical and emotional well-being of older adults.

References

1. Depp, C. A., Schkade, D. A., Thompson, W. K., & Jeste, D. V. (2010). Age, affective experience, and television use. American journal of preventive medicine, 39(2), 173–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2010.03.020

2. Fingerman, K. L., Kim, Y. K., Ng, Y. T., Zhang, S., Huo, M., & Birditt, K. S. (2022). Television Viewing, Physical Activity, and Loneliness in Late Life. The Gerontologist, 62(7), 1006–1017. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnab120 

3. Choi-Allum, L., & Farago, F. (2025). Breaking stereotypes: The push for real representation of older adults in movies and television. AARP Research. https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00902.001 

4. Smith, S., Pieper, K., & Choueiti, M. (2018). Still Rare, Still Ridiculed: Portrayals of Senior Characters On Screen in Popular Films from 2015 and 2016 Inclusion Initiative. https://annenberg.usc.edu/sites/default/files/2023/04/28/Still%20Rare%20Still%20Ridiculed%20Final%20Report%20January%202018.pdf 

5. Levy, B. R., Zonderman, A. B., Slade, M. D., & Ferrucci, L. (2009). Age stereotypes held earlier in life predict cardiovascular events in later life. Psychological science, 20(3), 296–298. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02298.x

6. Wangler, J., Jansky, M. Media portrayal of old age and its effects on attitudes in older people: findings from a series of studies. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 10, 165 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01671-5