The Age of the Photo: Symbolic Exclusion of Older Adults in Modernity. A Psychosocial Analysis Based on a Narrative
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Abstract
This essay addresses the symbolic invisibility of older adults in contemporary societies shaped by technological acceleration and cultural obsolescence. Based on the short story The Age of the Photo, an interdisciplinary reflection is developed through developmental psychology, neuroscience, gerontology, and social theory. It explores how, despite being affectively included, elderly people are often excluded as valid agents of knowledge, treated as "decorative presences" rather than relevant voices. The text also examines humor’s role as a critical and cultural defense mechanism against marginalization. The essay concludes with a call to restore the epistemic and social value of old age in a time that favors youth and speed. Additionally, the essay includes the short story La Edad de la Foto as an appendix—a literary piece with an ironic and absurd tone that dramatizes this issue and offers a narrative contribution to the phenomenon under discussion.
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