Age is both a biological process and a facet of identity that depends on social and cultural ideas, values, and norms. Different cultures have varying expectations associated with ages and life stages, and these expectations also change over time. The labeling of different generations (“Baby Boomers,” “Generation X,” “Millennials”) is based in demographics–statistics that are associated with population-based data. These demographic and generational labels create and perpetuate certain ideas associated with different age groups. They also are used to directly target media consumers and audiences. Ageism is a form of discrimination based on age that can be seen in limited media representation and content produced for certain ages. See topic overview PDF for more.
