Aging and Media For Nursing Student - Assignment Example

Aging and Media For Nursing Student Description of the media ad Media advertisement can be described as the process of selecting the most cost-effective mode of media for the advertisement in order to attain the desired coverage and the number of exposures to the targeted audience. The media reflects and shapes our culture (Darnell, Krisiola and Mason, 2010). In this media advertisement, there are five people covered in the front page of the magazine advertisement. The magazine belongs to Fort Lauderdale Dermatologist and the company deals with skin care products. The products mentioned in the magazine cover like Botox are used for the removal of wrinkles from the body surface (Ad-Excellence, 2008). How does it depict older adults? The contemporary world is surrounded by media and people within the society take up the images, impressions, sounds, and ideas that the media portrays towards aging. The media reflects key values within the society (Vickers, 2007). Representation of the older people and aging in the media serves two main purposes; (a) it may lead to the revelation of the general stereotypes that are in existence in the society, and (b) it may reinforce or teach the existing stereotypes (Darnell, Krisiola and Mason, 2010). Young adults and children have limited contact with the older adults and they may develop beliefs on the issue of aging depending on what they hear and see in the media. If there s underrepresentation of the older adults in the media or most of the media representations are negative, then it follows that negative stereotypes will develop (Darnell, Krisiola and Mason, 2010). There are two theories that attempt to explain the impact of the media within the society. The theories are: (a) social learning theory, and (b) cultivation theory. The social learning theory asserts that the young adults are mostly influenced by what they hear and see in the media and in the process the young person apes the models he or she hears or sees (Vickers, 2007). The cultivation theory asserts that the substance of the contemporary mass media has the capability of shaping the individuals’ perceptions of the universe. In this modern society, people encounter images that constantly change the way people feel and think on a number of issues (Vickers, 2007). The piece of advertisement depicts the older adults as having wrinkles and these wrinkles are considered undesirable; the advertisement spreads the message that these wrinkles and other undesirable marks that come along with aging can be removed. Aging can be described in terms of (a) the chronological aging; the number of years since delivery of the baby, (b) biological aging; the changes that reduce the efficiency of the organ systems, (c) psychological aging; it entails learning, memory, personality, capacity, and mental functioning, and (d) social aging; it refers to the social roles, relationships and the general social circumstance in which the individuals grow old (Barrow and Hillier, 2010). From the definition of aging, all the malfunctions being treated by the dermatologist in the magazine are associated with aging. The advertisement depicts that wrinkles are undesired in the old age period. Wrinkles are a common phenomenon in old age and if the old adult is unable to remove them, he or she feels alienated because the advert is against a normal process at old age. What audience is the piece trying to reach? The people that are mostly portrayed in the media are the young, middle to the upper class Caucasians. There is no doubt that the society we live in is dominated by the young people and it is youth-oriented (Vickers, 2007). This is an indication the young people are the major targets of the media. This is attributed to the fact that the society fears death and aging and the possibilities of the older adults getting media attention diminishes (Vickers, 2007). The advertisement targets the young generation; this can be supported by a number of things clearly highlighted in the magazine advertisement. The advertisement main motive is to lure the targeted audience that the youthful features can be still retained even as an individual ages. All the products and services target both the young and the old adults although the young adults are the main targets because of their sensitivity towards the idea of aging as depicted by the media. What product, idea, organization, and business is the piece trying to reach? Among the products and services being offered include; (a) resurfacing procedures such as the removal of unwanted skin blotches, wrinkles, fine lines, and age spots, (b) laser procedures such as the removal of undesired hair and the enhancement of the skin texture, tone and the removal of wrinkles, (c) Botox, a product that is used for dermatological purposes, (d) skin tightening, a procedure used for the treatment of fine lines and deep wrinkles while at the same time toning and firming the skin, and (e) acne treatment; it is used for the treatment of common dermatological conditions (Ad-Excellence, 2008). Identify common fallacies, stereotypes of myths about aging, is it positive or negative? Stereotypes are very common in the media for all the cultures, ages, religions, and races. Stereotype is defined as the presentation of sexes, individuals, nations, ethnic groups, cultures, and such which gives limitations to the unnuanced and simplistic beliefs, ways of thinking, beliefs, and roles (Vickers, 2007). In other words they are generalized opinions or beliefs that are based on individual experience and are often as a result of irrational thinking (Barrow and Hillier, 2010). In the media world, stereotypes are very evident in the movies, televisions, cartoons and comics (Vickers, 2007). Individuals are surrounded by fallacy of the older adults; there are cartoons that have been used to make jokes about the older adults having poor memories or having declined physical abilities. The worst is the damaging idea that the older adults cannot lead productive lives and make any difference. A good example is the greeting cards that portray adults as having low memories, no libido and having no teeth (Blanchard-Fields and Cavanaugh, 2009). These are just examples of the myths or stereotypes concerning aging, there are many others within the media industry. Whether the stereotype is negative or positive, they elicit emotional impressions that are not based on any objective information but rather on the categorization of the people. Stereotypes interfere with the judgment of the individual and it arouses strong and at times negative emotions such as resentment or hatred (Barrow and Hillier, 2010). What does it say about older adults in North America? The magazine advertisement says that the mentioned products and services are available in the United States and products such as Botox are said to offer instant results with minimal risks at affordable prices. Most of the products and services are meant to reduce wrinkles and other aging features like skin blotches and age spots. Other products such as Syneron are used for the treatment of deep wrinkles; this is an indication that the product is ideal for the older adults because there are the ones with aging features such as deep wrinkles. What is my reaction to this item, and particularly what caught my eye about it? My first reaction to the magazine advertisement was of hope to the aging adults. The magazine was advertising products and services that are concerned with the beauty of the skin. The reaction was based on the fact that many aging adults have skin conditions that are not appealing and such products and services would go a long way into helping them regain their youthful appearance. The advertisement instigates positive stereotyping rather than negative stereotyping. Negative stereotyping can have adverse effects on the well being of the older adult. The particular thing that caught my eye is the pictures that have been posted on the advertisement. The first picture is of the dermatologists that have developed the products and services. The second picture is of a beautiful woman; this is the most striking feature in the advertisement. The picture of the woman is a representation of the kind of beauty the products and services deemed to offer. How do I think an older adult react to this ad? The older adult will react to the advertisement with mixed feelings. The advertisement offers solutions to one of the problems of aging; the dermatological problems of aging will be solved. The picture of the woman will not appeal the older adult because of the age difference and the fact that a picture of a successful older adult patient is missing. The picture of the beautiful woman will push away the older adult because it is a representation of the young adult. And this means that the product is meant for the young adults rather than the older adults. The information on the products and the services may change the perception of the older person. The information provides hope to the older adult of having a face that is wrinkle free, age spot free and a skin that is well toned. All people including the older adults aspire to have a beautiful skin. References Ad-Excellence. (2008). Dermatologist – Magazine ad design example. Retrieved from http://www.ad-excellence.com/magazine-advertising.html?expandable=1 Barrow, G. M. & Hillier, S. M. (2010). Aging, the individual, and society. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. Blanchard-Fields, F. & Cavanaugh, J. C. (2009). Adult development and aging. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. Darnell, E. A., Krisiola, P. & Mason, S. E. (2010). Stereotypes and representations of aging in the media. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 1-3. Vickers, K. (2007). Aging and the media: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Californian Journal of Health Promotion, 5(3), 100-105. Read More