Exploring Preconceived Notions About Older Adults

Example

As we begin to explore the field of aging and gerontology, some folks have preconceived notions about older adults. To get a sense of the topics that older adults engage in we will be looking at Reddit, a social media platform.  This site is a network of communities where people can dive into interests, hobbies, and passions. 

Disclaimer: I do not oppose or support the information on this site, nor do you have to join Reddit for this assignment (reading does not require an account). Reddit's Privacy Policy

This discussion is for you to explore the thread, start thinking about aging, and share your thoughts, by answering the questions below (500 – 750 words). 

Be sure to follow the Format for Discussion Posts via the IMPORTANT ACTIVITY INFORMATION tab. 

Step One:

Connect to 60+ year old redditors, what advice/tips would you give to someone half your age? and explore the thread. This post and discussion took place in September 2013.

Next, explore People who are 50+ and happy with their life, what is your advice to people in their 30s? This post and discussion took place in September 2021.

Step Two:

In a new Discussion thread, answer the following questions by sharing your insights and experiences with your peers.  Initial posts are due by Thursday of each week, at 11:59pm. 

• Tell us your initial reaction to the two threads and why you believe you had the reaction.  Tell us if your reaction is related to past personal experience and/or knowledge of aging, or both – and why.  Please give examples.  
• Share at least 2 topics of advice that stood out for you.  Why did they stand out for you?  Would you consider the advice given or not – explain why. 
• These two posts are almost a decade apart in times of posting and discussion. What similarities and differences do you notice? Explain what you notice.
• As you read the material this week and watched the videos, tie the literature you reviewed with your Reddit experience.  Are the older adults sharing similar advice as the literature expresses?   

Step Three: 

Respond to 2 peers by the end of Sunday at 11:59pm.  In your responses acknowledge a specific part (or several parts) of your peers' posts, how does their post relate or does not relate to your real-life experience and understanding of the material.  Ask questions. Share a minimum of one academic support or resources to promote and advance the discussion.  Note: Responses to peers count for 35% of the Discussion Grade (250 – 300 words)

Instructions

If an exploration activity like this would benefit your course, here are some tips for setting it up:

• Locate a Reddit community forum (subreddit) related to your topic, then browse for posts that have a question or comment that suits what you need students to view. You can also search within Reddit, or limit internet searches to results from Reddit.
• Reddit is a social networking site, so be sure to provide students with privacy information and note that they do not need accounts and are not required to join the Reddit conversation.
• Consider what you want students to get out of reading the discussions and create specific questions for them to keep in mind as they read.

Notes from the Expert

This activity can be an engaging way for students to see real-world examples of content from a course. It can also be adapted as an example of how to engage in discussion forums like those in d2l.

Other things to note

• Student response to this activity was very positive
• Reddit maintains discussions as archives. Be sure to note the date the conversation is originally posted, as discussions typically only last a few days at most. This is beneficial for choosing threads that include the material you want, as they are very unlikely to change or have unwanted additions. 

Potential Limitations

• It can be time consuming to sift through Reddit to locate content for the activity or to find the most active groups.