In the developed world, average life expectancy is increasing. What problems will this cause for individuals and society? Suggest some measures that could be taken to reduce the impact of ageing populations.

People in the wealthy world now are expected to have average longer lives than before, which is storing up challenges for individuals and society, so we should put more effort to mitigate the negative impacts. Two of the biggest problems that arise from an average longer lifespan are the increasing burden on the social welfare system and the degrading quality of life in old age. From a societal perspective, many well-developed countries find their pension funds unsustainable as the proportion of the elderly in their populations keeps increasing when their birth rate drops to a record low. At the same time, governments foresee increasing expenditures ahead of them, including inevitable medical treatment and care services at the later stages. From an individual perspective, the traditional attitude toward the elderly takes them as an inconvenience and gives them a feeling of being undervalued. We tend to warehouse ageing in the nursing home and easily neglect their aspirations and emotional need. That's why we should intervene and slow down the development of the above issues.

Firstly

, authorities can introduce new policies to shake up current pension systems. To illustrate

this

, a recent study shows that more countries are raising the retirement age, aiming to unlock the economic potential lost in retirement days and help fill vacancies in certain industries.

Secondly

, a decent and robust infrastructure for social care can maintain the standard of living in old days.

For example

, there are emerging online communities tailored to the demographic person in their 50s or 60s and targeted to fill their needs by providing them with information ranging from workouts to workshops, to career opportunities and dating advice. In conclusion, it is a feat that industrialized development has extended our average lifetime compared to preindustrial times. While to prevent the obstacle it brings from deteriorating, we need unprecedented unity, solidarity, and collaboration by individuals, economies, and societies alike.