The representation of older characters: no child’s play?

Researcher(s)

Supervisors

Co-Supervisors

Presentation

Children’s television plays a significant role as a storyteller, shaping narratives and societal perceptions. Among the stories told, the representation of older adults and ageing might help creating children’s perceptions, underscoring the need for diverse and inclusive portrayals as television provides children with symbolic imagery of how older people look and behave, and it co-constructs cultural meaning around age and ageing. When these representations are limited, they risk fostering a narrow, potentially ageist view of older adults. Ageism is a broad phenomenon that encompasses stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination based on age. It can manifest in diverse ways and affects people of all ages. This makes ageism unique, as it is one of the few forms of discrimination that everyone may experience at some point in life.

This research brings together the themes of age representation, children’s content, and the Flemish context. The central research question—“How are older characters represented in children’s television content broadcast in Flanders?”—will be addressed through an exploratory quantitative content analysis. This will uncover the prevalence of older characters and explore their (intersecting) identities. Building on this, a qualitative content analysis will take a closer look at how ageing is represented by different content providers.

Beyond a textual approach, the project also engages with key actors. Creative workshops will offer insights into how children perceive and interpret representations of older adults. Older adults themselves will also be given a voice through focus groups, which will explore their perspectives on ageing, media representation, and ageism more broadly. In addition, in-depth interviews with children's media content creators will shed light on how these representations come to life on screen.