The Negative Views Of The Communication Predicament Model Of Aging

Everyone will grow old, as the aging process of the human body is inevitable. However, each day in our life can bring on new adventures, new friends, and knowledge of the world a round us. Yet, many people have negative views towards those who are considered older adults and thus, have a negative belief on the aging process as a whole. Throughout the quarter, COMM 119 has taught us why there is this negative stigma around the aging process and specially, on older adults as a group. This paper will address my stereotypical views of the aging process before COMM 119, the effect of improperly discussing death and dying, as well as what it means to be a successful ager. Understanding these topics have helped me realize that my viewpoints of elder
However, communication difficulties aren’t the only thing stereotypes negatively produce. The Communication Predicament Model of Aging (Ryan, Giles, Bartolucci & Henwood, 1986, as cited in Giles, Oct. 21, 2014) proposed that these negative characteristics I listed in exercise one can act as triggers for age stereotypes and lead to negative speech between the two groups (younger and older adults). This restricts communicative opportunities between said groups, encouraging less social interaction with older adults. Thus, older adults can lose a vast amount of self-esteem, creating physiological and psychological problems. I for one did not know the amount of damage categorizing older adults by their stereotypes could cause to their psyche. When my grandfather was 75 years old, he was put into the hospital for heart problems and my family would visit him often. I always remember my mother and father slowing their speech down, or just talking differently towards him while he was in the hospital bed. It is as if seeing my grandfather in a hospital bed triggered age stereotypes of older adults, thus changing the way my parents commutated toward them. Applying Social Identity Theory (Giles et al. 2014) presented in COMM 119 to that interaction made me realize for the future that I must look past these stereotypes, and base my communicative behaviors around the individual, and not there group. As it can lead to higher levels of self-esteem for the older adult I am addressing. Properly accommodating to the elder adults will also allow me to get rid of stereotypes and possibly see aging as more of a positive