The social construction of dementia in main online news sources during COVID-19

Abstract

This study aims to examine the social construction of dementia during COVID-19 in online news sources during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social construction is not a concept that exists in objective reality but a concept that exists as a result of human interaction (Bainbridge, 2023). Mainly, the social construction of dementia can be divided into three sections-the medicalization of dementia, the psychological approach to dementia, and the stigma of dementia (Bosco et al., 2019). Learning about how dementia was talked about and socially constructed in the media during COVID-19 can illuminate the ideas and stereotypes people have about dementia in general. In this study, I use the cultural conception, “hyodo” from South Korea and apply it to how dementia was discussed in primary online news sources during the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis will provide insights into perspectives of online news sources regarding older people and the development of policies for people living with dementia in long-term care facilities during pandemic. While people with dementia live in community and long-term care settings, this study will focus specifically on long-term care settings, as most news articles during COVID-19 focused on long-term care settings. Additionally, the study aims to explore the role of the media in shaping public perceptions and attitudes toward dementia particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. [...]