The rapidly ageing demographic in Western society influences people’s own expectations of later life. One in four millennials think it is very normal to be unhappy and depressed when you are old (RSPH, 2018:5). The underrepresentation and misrepresentation of older people in visual media, e.g. advertisements of care, are outdated and only reinforce a fear of growing older. Therefore, this research set out to challenge people’s perceptions of ageing through an intergenerational and participatory process.
The aim of the study was to have a better understanding of people’s experiences and perspectives on ageing. The study generated practical recommendations to improve the visual representation of older people in Scotland. Furthermore, the study identified key insights about using engagement tools within a participatory process.
Semi-structured interviews were held with three older people (age 80+) and two adolescents (age 14) to understand their perceived image of a typical older person in relation to their lived experiences. Two participatory workshops were organised to collectively come up with new ideas that challenge the portrayal of older people in everyday visual media. Three sets of data (visual, conversational and observational) were analysed through thematic and content analysis.
The findings are a set of recommendations for organisations who wish to reduce the stigma around ageing and challenge ageing stereotypes in their visual strategy. Further research can explore how the recommendations relate to the visual representation of other marginalised groups, for example based on their gender, skin colour or sexual preferences.