In the media today, there is a lot of stereotyping among the older generation. I chose to focus on this stereotyping because it is something that I see quite frequently, and it is something that seems a bit absurd to me. We have all been around older people such as our parents or grandparents, and we know that with today's innovations, inventions, technology, and ever growing trends, they tend to have a hard time keeping up and staying up to date. People in the media and on social networks seem to thrive off of this "older-generation" incompetence. They either portray them as people who are so helpless that they just have no clue what is going on, or they portray them as pretending to not have any idea what is going on, but really having this secret crazy life that they live. It is interesting that these somewhat negative stereotypes exist because in reality, these are the people who helped shaped the world to make it what it is today. I really do enjoy the portrayal of these people actually being fun and adventurous and making it seem as if we as young people are the boring ones. Either way, the stereotyping of this group of people is meant to add some humor and laughter. Whether it is appropriate or not is quite debatable.
Interesting observations! I think the stereotypes you point out in your post about old people are pretty rampant in our society.
ReplyDeleteInteresting topic! Our society does not completely understand and respects the role of the elderly.
ReplyDeleteI really like your tie to technology with this topic. I know I'm guilty of assuming that older people don't know technology and that I'm a little superior to them in some way because I'm "up with the times." Great topic!
ReplyDeleteI don't want to offend all the senior citizens in our class but sometimes I feel like old people are the epitome of "entitlement." I feel like there is a unwarranted reverence for all the supposed wisdom of old folk. While time and experience obviously gives you a new/different perspective I don't believe that every old person is a sage or prophet. Take away their pills, their social security checks, their wigs, their assurety that they are always right and you see they're just as self seeking as the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteThat video of the old couple trying to work the camera is hilarious- I like how you centered in on technology and gave some examples.
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