PSAs for the Elderly

This past week, Julia asked the question, and I am paraphrasing here, whether older generations of people should make steps to improve their media literacy. It got me thinking, in a broader sense, how often do we even think about how the media may affect those who aren't teenagers, people who might be much older than teens even? When I think about it, the most obvious demographic for any sort of persuasive intervention campaign is that of teens and adolescents. I mean, this obviously makes sense. There are, of course, clear developmental disparities between the average adult and the average teenager, but sometimes I wonder if we aren't giving enough credence to the potential of looking towards older generations with these messages. I've probably seen at least a dozen anti-texting and driving ads targeted towards people like me, for instance, but I can't think of a worse perpetrator of this than my own father. Alternatively, while I'm prone to watch any mass media news report with a grain of salt, my mother is absorbed by it wholly.

For one organization, it seems, informing this sort of 'untapped' populace on a subject you wouldn't typically associate with one that needs public intervention, has been a guiding factor in their PSAs. The topic; the old and familiar subject of safe sex and STDs. The popular; the elderly. Maybe old, but not so familiar.

The organization, called "SaferSex4Seniors" (safersex4seniors.org), had a slight moment of fame earlier this year when their video PSA, uploaded on Vimeo, went viral. The video in question depicts fully clothed senior citizens pantomiming some pretty, well, I guess I would call it 'acrobatic' sex positions. After a few clips of these, the overall intention of the ad displays in text on the screen. The PSA lets us know that STD have risen over 70% for senior citizens, and that there is only one way to have safe sex, and that is with a condom.





It's a good message. Obviously, a high rise in STDs is no laughing matter, and, in recent memory, I haven't seen a PSA of this nature that has ever addressed the elderly. Also, as the ad seems to point out, this is definitely a demographic that does need to be interpellated in a conversation about safe sex. While I think ads like this are beneficial and positive, I do have a few caveats about the campaign.

In an article by researchers Joyce and Harwood, studies indicated that while pro-social media message about the dangers of sex can have effect, the message was most effective when the participants felt that the originators of the message were perceived as closely identifying with them (2014). This means, that for message to have some of its most persuasive effects, it's best for the intended audience to feel a sense of similarity with the producer of the message. In all honesty, I think the SaferSex4Seniors is most likely not going to be perceived as similar by senior citizens watching the video. Maybe it's the music choice, which was mostly likely selected for a comic effect. I think, more importantly, the biggest problem is that this message is heavily dependent on being produced and spread through the internet.

Arguably, most senior citizens are probably not that active on the internet. So, why then, is this PSA so reliant on the internet to inform the elderly? The video doesn't give a lot of information on safe sex with the exception of the 'use a condom' at the end, and viewers are mostly encouraged to visit their website for more indepth information. Wouldn't it be better then, for this message to be utilized in a different method? Maybe through personal one on one meetings or pamphlets.

There is an obvious need to address the problems of which teens are in danger. But, after teens grow up, why does the need to tell them of the dangers in the outside world disappear? People are still in danger regardless of age, so while the SaferSex4Senior campaign may not be perfect, it should be seen as a catalyst.

Reference

Joyce, N. & Harwood, J. (2014). Context and identification in persuasive mass communication. Journal of Media Psychology, 26(1), 50-57