NEW YORK (Reuters) – Older people like reading negative news
stories about their younger counterparts because it boosts their
own self-esteem, according to a new study. German researchers
said older people tend to be portrayed negatively in society.
Although they are often described as wise, they are also be
shown as being slow and forgetful. "Living in a youth centered
culture, they may appreciate a boost in self-esteem. That's why
they prefer the negative stories about younger people, who are
seen as having a higher status in our society," said Dr. Silvia
Knobloch-Westerwick, of Ohio State University. Knoblock-
Westerwick and her co-author Matthias Hastall, of Zeppelin
University in Friedrichshafen, Germany, studied 276 German
adults, including 178 aged 18 to 30 and 98 between 55 and 60.
Their findings are published in the Journal of Communication.
All the adults in the study were shown what they were led to
believe was a test version of a new online news magazine. They
were also given a limited time to look