Middle School Students Portray Childism Via Memes

Background: An educational intervention to reduce ageism was conducted with middle school students, who created memes about ageism toward older adults. Method: 274 memes were analyzed thematically and visually to uncover key messages about ageism. Findings: Although the focus was on ageism toward older adults, 99 memes (36%) addressed other forms of ageism, with 47 (17%) specifically highlighting childism. Two types of childism–other-directed and self-directed–emerged. Students used memes to express negative assumptions about their behaviors, cognition, and physical abilities due to their young age, while some memes actively challenged these stereotypes by promoting empowerment, age equality, and the rejection of childism. Conclusion: Childism is a significant issue among middle school students, calling for increased research and policy focus. Guiding students to create anti-ageist memes offers a promising intervention strategy.