| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:And on the elderly question? | |
| Posted by: | Colin Jordan | |
| Date/Time: | 03/11/15 08:06:00 |
| I agree with Micki. 'Elderly' is a reductive term which is usually used to imply that all people over a certain age are the same - doddering around in a fog of forgetfulness, unable to understand what a computer is or remember where they left their incontinence pants. This is as patently absurd as imagining that all the 'young' are drug-addled sociopaths who are ignorant of everything except computer games and facebook. The danger in reports such as this is that they employ a form of stereotyping which suggests that only an 'elderly' woman would be so foolish as to draw money out of the ATM without noticing that she was being observed by thieves, who then robbed her. Are only the 'elderly' attacked in this way? I think not. I would suggest that newspapers stop using the term as shorthand for 'vague and unable to look after themselves'. |