I chose this image to represent how society portrays older people. I think that expresses how people often believe that older people are not up to date with things like phones and create stereotypes like “you look like a grandma when you’re on your phone”, meaning how the person looks in the image. Yes it is not uncommon for people in older generations to seem new to modern-day trends or lifestyles, however these assumptions can create stereotypes that may come across as negative or hurtless to some elder.

Regarding age, we do see in both ads a lot of different age groups as there are babies, younger kids, teenagers, and middle-aged individuals. However, part of being inclusive means showing every age and from what I saw, we did not see any older individuals. This likely is due to society’s stereotypes which make people think that older people may not be a good representation for something like a sporting age although this is completely untrue.

1. The reading explains that the city of Peterborough plans to change Bonnerworth Park by removing green space to build 16 pickleball courts and a large parking lot. This has upset many local residents as they are worried that they were not asked for their opinion on this decisions and it leads to less natural spaces and fewer public areas. Although pickleball is a popular sport that is often played by older adults and seen as a healthy activity, some individuals are frustrated as they believe this plan only benefits one age group and harms the environment. This conflict with pickleball’s increase of popularity is creating debates about how cities and parks should use their public areas.

@mothershipsg

Tan suggested that underutilised spaces be repurposed to courts as the demand for them are rising with more, including seniors in the community playing basketball, badminton, netball, sepak takraw & now pickleball, are competing for space. #sgnews #sports #courts #pickleball

♬ original sound – Mothership – Mothership

1. In the media and on social media, older pickleball players are shown in two different ways. On one side, they are complimented for staying active and social as they age. This fits with what Stephen Pike calls the “neoliberal” view of aging, where older people are expected to stay busy, healthy, and independent through organized and paid activities. Pickleball works well with this idea because it’s easy to play, cheap, and accessible.In Elaine Anselmi’s article in The Narwhal, Mayor Jeff Leal supports the new courts by saying they match the city’s goals for health and community. However, this focus seems to benefit older people who age in a certain way which is those who stay active and fit and this ignores other needs or ways of aging. Pike explains that this can turn aging into something people see can only be done in one way which is by being productive and spending money, rather then focusing on care or community.At the same time, many people are frustrated with the rise of pickleball. On TikTok and Twitter, older players are sometimes made fun of as loud, selfish, or unaware of others. Some posts joke about noise complaints or how much space they take up. These jokes can be ageist as people are blaming older adults for problems that realistically are the cities fault as they are the ones making the decisions on the use of public spaces.

   This shows the issue that older people are being praised for staying active but also blamed when that activity bothers others. The pickleball debate isn’t just about a sport—it’s also about how we treat aging, who gets to use public spaces, and how we balance health with the environment.