“We must claim our space in the media noise”:

Older women’s views on media representation, the potential of social media, and the body-positive movement

Abstract

While the media often portrays older people, especially women, in a stereotypical and ageist way, social media, and especially the body-positive movement, can offer a way to improve representation. Through semi-structured interviews with older Swedish women who publish body-positive content online, this study aims to examine their views on the media representation of older women, the potential of social media and the body-positive movement, and their own participation.

Two opposing perspectives were expressed: a collectivist one highlighting structural explanations, such as different conditions for women and men. The most recurrent perspective, however, was the individualist one. The interviewees saw the lack of representation as the responsibility of women, who must claim their space. They did not identify with the body-positive movement or see their activity as part of it, but as an individual commitment. Their motives for participation often had to do with self-realization and financial gain. The individualist perspective can be tied to a neoliberal ideology that emphasizes individuals’ freedom and responsibility. This focus makes those who are subjected to oppression deny structural aspects, place the responsibility to solve the situation on themselves, and abstain from collective action. While participation can result in more visibility for older women, its form thus risks eroding the potential for change.