Abstract
A chronological-age ‘risk group’ has been singled out since the onset of the current pandemic due to the higher risk of serious illness and mortality from COVID-19 closely associated with ‘older age’. While this categorisation does not presuppose discrimination in itself, it appears to be a precondition for discursive discrimination. COVID-19 age-related risks have particularly exacerbated ageism on social media, fuelling discourses driven by intergenerational tension. Despite the importance of social media in contemporary communication, there is still scant research on the representation of ageism in these environments. This paper attempts to fill this void by exploring millennials’ use of the derogatory Twitter hashtags #BoomerDoomer and #BoomerRemover to discriminate ‘baby boomers’ as the COVID-19 risk group. Informed by Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) showing interest in discriminatory discourse in the media, the study aims at disclosing the main themes and discursive strategies used to construe ageist content in a sample of original tweets posted during the initial stage of the disease outbreak when the hashtags were trending. Framed by a CDA taxonomy of discriminatory discursive strategies, the combined thematic and discourse analysis highlights how the chosen topics and discursive strategies subtly perpetuate ageism, thus suggesting its resurgence in the COVID-19 era.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
