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Published on: January 24, 2020
Using Meme Creation to Explore Ageism Among Adolescents
Sarit Okun1,2, Assaf Suberry1, Liat Ayalon1
1Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
None:
Ageism, characterized by stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination based on age, remains a pervasive societal issue with significant social and psychological implications. This study explores the use of memes-a popular and relatable digital medium-as a creative and reflective tool for understanding how adolescents conceptualize aging and ageism following an educational workshop. The intervention involved 727 middle school students (ages 11-15) who were introduced to the concept of ageism and then created memes to express their understanding. Visual and thematic analyses of 274 student-generated memes revealed diverse perceptions of older persons: 168 memes (74%) challenged ageist stereotypes by incorporating more positive views of aging, while 59 memes (26%) reinforced existing ageist perceptions. The study offers methodological contributions, demonstrating the potential of meme creation as a way to capture nuances in students' perceptions of older age and ageism.
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