Calculated Ageism: Generational Sacrifice as a Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

ObjectivesPopular responses to the pandemic illustrate ageism’s pervasiveness and the extent of collective acquiescence to its newest expressions. We explore these themes by analyzing Twitter reactions to “calculated ageism”—a term we use to refer to a political figure’s edict that older adults should sacrifice their lives if it will mitigate the pandemic’s economic damage to younger people.MethodUsing thematic analysis, we examine tweets (n = 188) responding to Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s March 23, 2020, statement that encouraged generational self-sacrifice. Themes that emerged included positions of support or opposition and tweeters’ critiques.ResultsThe large majority of tweets—90%—opposed calculated ageism, while only 5% supported it and 5% conveyed no position. Opposition centered on moral critiques, political-economic critiques, assertions of older adults’ worth, and public health arguments. Support centered on individual responsibility and patriotism.DiscussionWhile prior research reveals ageism’s entrenchment in popular culture, our study finds that it has limits and identifies the reasons underlying them. The most common reasons for opposing calculated ageism center on its immorality and on its privileging of the economic interests of the powerful few over the many, patterns suggesting that the boundaries of ageism are influenced by core beliefs about fairness. They also are shaped by a bedrock conviction that older lives have value. This intergenerational solidarity could be leveraged to reduce ageism during the pandemic and beyond.