Exploring Digital Ageism: A Systematic Literature Review on Social Media and Aging

Introduction

As the older adult population continues to rise, so does their willingness and ability to utilize broadband internet. Connecting with loved ones and maintaining meaningful relationships are key components to healthy aging and now more possible than ever in an online world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults found themselves forced into a digital world - and many have remained there. In its 2023 Report on Tech Trends, AARP researchers found that 88% of survey respondents aged 55 years and older used at least one social media platform, up from 71% in 2019 (Kakulla, 2023; Kakulla, 2019). Existing literature has identified ageist content on platforms such as TikTok and Twitter, especially during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ageist messages on social media have been associated with negative health outcomes including poorer mental health for older adults (Allen et. al., 2022; WHO, 2021). As more older adults are using social media platforms, it is crucial to address prejudiced and discriminatory content targeting older adults. In this systematic review, we sought to identify how older adults are portrayed on multiple popular social media platforms.

Methods

For the purposes of our research, we defined social media as an online platform in which individuals can communicate through pictures, videos, and/or text. Therefore, emerging social platforms such as the MetaVerse where individuals can interact in a virtual reality world, were not included. We completed a systematic literature search on three databases (Pubmed, Ovid, and ScienceDirect). We conducted direct searches of these databases using the key terms "Ageism" "Socials" and "Social Media" We filtered out papers that had no mention of older adults (aged 55 years and older) and/or no mention of social media as defined by the authors. For themes based on ageist content, we primarily searched on social media platforms TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X (Twitter).

Results

Of the 529 unique entries reviewed by the authors, 34 articles were fully reviewed and an additional 11 papers were identified through the snowballing technique. Most of the articles focused on major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and Tik Tok as perpetuating the most ageist content. Due to differences in set-up and design of social media sites, intra-platform themes were analyzed in accordance with how categorical content is typically shared with the public (i.e., hashtags (#) on Instagram, X (Twitter), & TikTok, and groups on Facebook). In looking to investigate the perpetuation of ageism on social media platforms, several studies identified themes such as intergenerational interactions creating tension between older (i.e, Baby boomers) and younger populations (i.e., Generation Z, millennials, and Generation Z). These negative intergenerational interactions may contribute to the ageism perpetuated by the younger generations on online social platforms (Neuben & Indran, 2022; Sipocz et.al., 2020; Meisner, 2020).

Conclusions

Older adults are using social media in ever growing numbers. However, a review of social media sites indicates a consistent prevalence of ageist themes. While there is content with counter-ageist themes, the persistence of ageism poses a major challenge to de-stigmatization of geriatric mental health. The literature consistently identifies more inclusion of older adults on every platform for interaction as the primary effective countermeasure.