ized ▁by ▁images ▁of ▁s tere ot yp ically ▁third ▁age ▁older ▁adult s ▁( en jo ying ▁life ▁and ▁living ▁their ▁“ g old en ▁years ” ), ▁while ▁older ▁adult s ▁in ▁their ▁fourth ▁age ▁( in active ▁and ▁unable ▁to ▁live ▁independently ) ▁remain ▁invisible . ▁A ▁review ▁of ▁empir ical ▁studies ▁conducted ▁since ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁in ▁Europe ▁and ▁North ▁America ▁reve als ▁that ▁print ▁and ▁television ▁advert is ements ▁started ▁this ▁transition ▁towards ▁a ▁more ▁positive ▁visual ▁representation ▁of ▁older ▁adult s ▁in ▁their ▁age ▁during ▁the ▁last ▁de cade ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁followed ▁by ▁television ▁programs ▁some ▁years ▁later , ▁while ▁older ▁adult s ▁in ▁their ▁fourth ▁age ▁remain ▁invisible . ▁▁ ▁This ▁is ▁probably ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁increase ▁in ▁third ▁age ▁r het or ic ▁in ▁the ▁media , ▁p ict uring ▁older ▁people ▁as ▁health y ▁and ▁as ▁potential ▁consum ers , ▁enjo ying ▁life ▁and ▁living ▁their ▁golden ▁years . ▁Media ▁representations ▁of ▁older ▁people ▁have ▁moved ▁from ▁visual ▁under - ▁and ▁mis re presentation ▁( negative ▁images ) ▁to ▁more ▁positive ▁dep ict ions ▁These ▁days , ▁visual ▁age ism ▁in ▁the ▁media ▁tends ▁to ▁come ▁wrapped ▁in ▁the ▁gu ise ▁of ▁the ▁positive ▁attributes ▁of ▁third ▁age ▁representations ▁of ▁older ▁people , ▁while ▁adult s ▁in ▁their ▁fourth ▁age ▁continue ▁to ▁be ▁under re present ed . ▁One ▁possible ▁explanation ▁for ▁this ▁is ▁that ▁health y ▁third ▁ag ers ▁might ▁prefer ▁not ▁to ▁be ▁associated