Category: Aging

The young are valued more than the aged today. Discuss this in relation to your society.

The young are not valued more than the aged in Singapore.

Recent developments in Singapore’s strategies to encourage parenthood, celebrate the achievements of young Singaporeans while providing them with greater opportunities to do so in different areas seem to reflect that the government is diverting more attention, time and capital to the young. However, it would be unfair to claim the Singapore government values the young more than they value the aged. In fact, it has always aimed for a clear-sighted balance to ensure that the nation is a home where the young have exciting opportunities and bright futures and where the old lives their silver years with grace and dignity. Beyond the government’s efforts however, the society can also play an even larger part in supporting elderly individuals such as through positive employment practices and work cultures and eliminating stereotypes. It is not true that the young are valued more than the old in Singapore.

Over the past few years, the Singapore government has developed various elderly-friendly facilities and infrastructure. This is in line with the government’s focus on developing an inclusive society where Singapore would be a place where all Singaporeans, regardless of age, can call home. The integration of elderly-friendly facilities like anti-slip tiles and bathroom railings in the homes of the aged are initiatives undertaken by the Housing Development Board. Also, in order for more seniors to age gracefully within the community and remain close to their loved ones, the Ministry of Health has revamped various neighbourhood areas like Toa Payoh and Bedok so as to locate aged care and support facilities in these areas. These initiatives show that the government is committed to ensuring that the aged can still enjoy quality living.

In tandem with the above, the young are not left out as well. The continued development of educational and sports facilities shows the government’s keen intention to nurture the interests and talents of the younger generation. Programmes like Young Change Makers and SHINE Festival are just a few of the many initiatives planned by the National Youth Council to engage young Singaporeans. The multitude of programmes and initiatives for the young and the old shows that it is myopic to compare the value placed on both groups.

In some instances, there is preferential treatment of the young compared to the aged. This is due to the belief that the aged are less productive, lack innovative ideas and are prone to fall sick. As such, some firms prefer to recruit young workers. Nevertheless, the Singapore government sees the aged as assets in the workplace and has taken steps to change institutional structures to support older workers. For example, it has subsidised the wage bills of companies that they hire older workers through Special Employment Credit and continuously enhances its Retirement and Re-employment Act to help eligible elderly employees stay in the workforce for a longer period of time. Many local companies have been encouraged by the Ministry of Manpower to modify job specifications and operations or redesigning the work for older employees. The perception that the society favours the young more than the aged is thus a flawed one.

The practical nature of Singapore society and the constant desire to further our socio-economic development would lead some to assume that the government tends to invest more in developing the potential of young citizens. But the truth of the matter is that the Singapore government has focused on ensuring that the older workers remain employable and are well taken care of. In fact, it is precisely our practicality that drives the government to see the value in every member in the workforce regardless of their age due to limited manpower. The young are not valued more than the aged in Singapore.

We Worship the Young and Scorn the Old. What Is Your Opinion?

It is not deniable that today majority of attention is focused on the youth of society. Walk by any bus stop or open up any newspaper and there are young models printed all over the pages and billboard. The emphasis we place on the youth of our society is to an extent that we completely neglect the older generation of our society. There are several cases where the older generation is denied jobs or are discriminated against at the workplace. All this might prove that we scorn the old, however, it is important to remember that the older generations contribute to society in their own ways.

The youth are believed to be the future of our society and this is reflected in our fascination with the young people. It is important that the older generation is given the same importance and the emphasis is shifted from youth to youthfulness. However, this is not being practised in today’s society where people believe that the young are interesting and the older people should be done away with because they do not bring any novelty in the society. The mindset of people and society proves that we scorn the old, and create hindrance in the way of the older generation to prove their worth in society.

The media is also responsible for promoting these attitudes where the younger generation is given too much attention while none is given to the older generation. For instance in Singapore the leading newspaper The Straits Times has a whole page intended only for the youth while there are no such devoted pages for the older generation. One reason for this attention to the youth can be attributed to the fact that they are considered the future of society. On the other hand, the only news which features the older generation is their abandonment from their own homes or lack of job opportunities. This exactly reflects the conditions in our society and how we scorn the old. On the other hand, the younger generation is given significant importance while the old people are neglected completely.

In spite of this, believing that the older generation is only neglected is completely disingenuous and can lead us to biased views. It cannot be forgotten that media has to feature young and fresh faces in newspapers, TV and magazines because they lead to great profits. On a surface level, these issues portray the youth of society but if one looks closely then there are articles for the older generation sometimes which provide them with plans on how to save money after retirement. One of the reasons for not having a place in these features can also be because of their constant lifestyle which is not very newsworthy. But all this does not insinuate that the older generation is idle and inactive, and therefore completely disregarded by society, it’s just that they contribute to society in other ways and are occupied with activities that do not always feature in the media. For instance, in Australia, there are many activities conducted by the elderly and their pleasurable amity is enjoyed by all. The older generation has abundant knowledge about skills which are lost today like knitting, the younger generation turns to the older generation for learning these skills. Hence, it is not true that we scorn the old, many believe that they are a vital part of our society and are respected.

Though the youth is believed to be the future of society, they are still immature and need the guidance of the older generation. It is often seen that the youth often commit mistakes and sometimes even indulge in anti-social behaviour, this even leads to taint their image as the representatives of our society. The rash behaviour is often criticised by the older generation, these objections are often interpreted by the younger generation as finicky views which obstruct their liberty and preferences. However, the views of the old are not finicky as they speak from their experience and have passed through the stage of youth too. We scorn the old and do not respect their opinions. The older generation has a grain of truth in their concerns but their statements are not taken seriously by the youth today and their concern for the youth is interpreted as troublesome. Hence, older people have a lot of wisdom which if taken seriously by the youth can benefit them in a long term.

In spite of the popularity the youth have gained in society, it is irrefutable that the older generation has contributed to society immensely. Many countries have started to understand the benefits of the older generation and how their skills can be helpful to the youth. Many countries like Britain have policies that safeguard the rights of the elderly. While Singapore Airlines continues to hire young girls to boost its business, there is British Airways which still gives importance to experience and has a staff that has proven themselves these attendants are not young like the Singapore Girl but have more experience and knowledge than them. In times of emergency, the older attendants are considered to be a preferred choice because of their confident attitude and experience. Unfortunately, there are companies that remove their employees once they are not young anymore. Many replace the older generation’s wisdom with the young generation’s new ways in the companies. In this way, we scorn the old, even after their significant contribution to their workplace. It is important that the companies make policies which enable the young generation and the old to work together so that both can learn something from each other. However, many companies do not understand this and therefore not many policies like these exist. Hence, it is important that the old and the young generation are given a chance to work with each other as they both can bring different perspectives to the workplace.

In conclusion, it is important to understand that both the old and the new generations are given importance as both are a vital part of society. The younger generation should understand that the older generation has many pearls of wisdom and should take every opportunity to learn from them. It is also important that the older generation also takes into consideration the views of the young generation to keep up with the new generation and form a fresh and innovative perspective on things.

We worship the young and scorn the old. What is your opinion?

In today’s world media plays an important role in shaping one’s thoughts and perception. The media today constantly focuses on the young and it is often seen that due to this the older generation is disdained and completely disregarded. Though this is true that this is the case in many scenarios, a closer analysis reveals that this trend is prevalent in the industries where profit-making is the only goal. These industries worship the young so that they can maximize their profits from them.

It is evident that society is fixated with the young; young people are idolized and are seen in many spheres of our lives. The media is filled with young people; they are seen in advertisements, television and are also rule the music industry. The dominance of young people in these areas results from our admiration for the young to the extent that the older generation is completely side-lined. The media is filled with advertisements featuring the young and Apple iPod advertisements are an example of that wherein youth are seen grooving to today’s music. The fashion industry is crammed with models that are barely in their 20s. These examples are a reflection of today’s society which shows that we worship the young

On the contrary, when the question is of the older generation, there are preconceived notions about them in our minds. Old people are often considered to be mentally less acute and are deemed to be unfit in the work sphere. They are often perceived as crabby and difficult people and these perceptions sketch a negative picture of the older generation. These ideas about the old have taken roots in our mindset and therefore, In Singapore, many older people are not offered jobs because people think they are less alert and productive. It’s true that the older generation is not as adept in using technology as the younger generation and technology is an important part of today’s work sphere. One might argue that it is due to the skills that the older people are being denied jobs. However, it is also true that along with our notions about the old, people also believe that the old do not contribute towards society at all. This is also evident from the fact that many elderly are sent to old age homes as they are considered an inconvenience in their own families. Hence, the aforementioned examples reflect our contempt for the older generation in society.

It would be completely wrong to believe that we worship the young over because of their youth and our attitudes towards them are unjustifiable. For example, in the sports field athletes’ youth is desirable because it is the peak point in their careers. It is completely unfair to believe that we worship the youth because there are many instances where the young are subjected to harsh treatments from society. As we celebrate their youth we also criticize their naivety and immature behaviour. For instance, the ‘Yob’ culture in Britain is condemned because of their disruptive acts and is disapproved by people all over the world. When young celebrities indulge in wrong activities they are not worshipped but are harshly disparaged by the media and society. Therefore, Believing that we only worship the young is a flawed statement because when the youth commit any mistakes they are also ruthlessly reproached by us.

Similarly, it is an intense exaggeration when we say that we disregard the older generation. A major part of society understands and considers the fact that someday we will pass through the same ageing stage in life. Many cultures value the significance of the older generation and the importance of respecting them. In Singapore, respecting the elderly is central to its values and was even encouraged by our minister Lee Kuan Yew. The older generation is vital to society because they have experience and years of accumulated wisdom. In the Film industry names like Maggie Smith and Judi Dench are still taken because of their strong acting skills. Many advertisements today have started featuring the old and this has helped in sending across the message that the old are as important as the young of the society.

In conclusion, it is a rushed assumption to believe that only the youth is worshipped in the society while the old neglected. These are extreme views that do not hold true in today’s society where age is just a number. There are some aspects of the young that are celebrated and there are other characteristics of the old which are celebrated. Both the generations’ importance cannot be denied in society.

Retirement years are golden years. Do you agree?

For many young people, “retirement” is synonymous to “rest”: You have already done your part, now you can enjoy the rest of your life without working and still get paid. While this notion is obviously overly simplistic and presumptuous, it is partly true that the retirement years seem to promise one with many perks that he or she could only dream of during their working years, such as almost endless leisure time, guaranteed payment and freedom from commitments to do whatever they want. However, in my society in Vietnam, retirement years are never considered “golden”, in fact, they often bring one much worries as they usually mean less financial security and loneliness, as well as lack of healthcare and overall less fulfilling life.

Stressed-out and overworked adults often have the delusion that retirement years would be the end goals of their working life, during which they will have much fewer work commitments and thus would finally be free from such a stressful lifestyle. They dream that they would have all the time and freedom in the world to travel, pursue their hobbies or to simply spend more time with their children and family. After all, who would complain about too much leisure time if they can afford it? This mentality can be seen in the trend of enrichment classes, not for children but retired adults, ranging from cooking to dancing to flower arranging being organized and are very well-received by those with a lot of time on their hands after retirement. More religious people also see retirement as an opportunity to compensate for ignoring their spiritual growth during the busy years, and dream of using this free time to journey to pagodas and churches all over the country in pilgrimages tours tailored specifically for retirees. They also rather naively think that retirement years allow them to spend more time with their family and children to make up for the time that they could not while they were busy working. This mindset is particularly popular in Vietnam, where traditional Eastern values of putting family first are still highly upheld; and it is not uncommon for several generations to stay in the same house, which would certainly allow them to easily care for other members. Overall, many have understandable, but not so realistic dreams about the endless enjoyment in their retirement years.

These dreams, in fact, are overly optimistic and superficial, since they forgot to consider two other very important factors that would allow such enjoyment and leisure: money and health. While it is true that retired people have considerably more time, they might not have the financial capacity and energy to follow through with their plans. The majority (over 80 per cent) of Vietnamese live in rural areas and thus primarily do agricultural works, meaning that for them “retirement” comes when one is no longer capable of such laborious tasks and has to stop working.  Certainly, they do not have any kind of pension or guaranteed form of payments, making daily sustenance an issue, not to mention costly leisure such as travelling. Thus, for these people, retirement often means becoming dependent on their children and thus they are no longer able to participate in recreational activities. For city-dwellers, the situation is slightly better cine most people either work for the government or private firms; however, they fail to realize that while their pension is significantly less comparing to their working wages, their living expenses do not decrease simply because they have retired. Prices of goods, house rents and other commodities might even continue to rise due to Vietnam’s growing economy’s vulnerability to inflation. While it is not impossible to carry on with their previous lifestyle, looking forward to a luxurious lifestyle with extravagant trips to exotic places or shopping sprees is simply unrealistic. Furthermore, retirees are often 55 to 70 years old, meaning that their health has deteriorated considerably compared to their prime working years. Those who use to do laborious tasks often face bones and respiratory systems diseases, while office workers have their shares of cancer and heart diseases due to their sedentary lifestyle. Vietnam’s lack of a comprehensive healthcare system also leaves many people without healthcare insurance, making it very difficult for them to obtain affordable healthcare. With such poor health conditions, it is rather difficult for a retired adult to follow the adventurous plans he made when he was 27. Hence, in Vietnam, retirement years are not golden as it leaves people financially insecure and often means poorer health.

Those who still insist on viewing retirement years through rose-tinted glasses might argue that despite the lack of money, a retired adult can still enjoy life through simpler things, such as human interactions and a sense of community, what they might have missed out on due to their previously hectic lifestyle. They would back up this claim by pointing out that Vietnamese society, in fact, has very strong grassroots organizations in residential areas, and would frequently conduct meetings and activities to facilitate bonding between members in the neighbourhood. This community, as they would enthusiastically claim, would ensure that retired adults have companionship and can still lead an active meaningful lifestyle even after retirement.

However, it is still evident that retired adults feel much lonelier after leaving their workplace, in fact, many were in shock and terrified of no longer having work and wish to continue working to have a sense of purpose. These grassroots communities might provide short-term relief for these people, but in the long run, it essentially confines them to interactions with people in the same situation, further drilling into them the notion that they now belong to a “group” of old, non-productive people of the society. Activities carried out become repetitive and superficial a while as they do not have many variations, and thus cannot help retirees find a sense of purpose after they have stopped working. Family-wise, they might find themselves cast aside by other family members who are still working and have much busier schedules to follow. Ultimately, retirees are left falling lonely, unproductive and ignored by society, which severely damages their self-esteem and can even contribute to depression among the elderlies.

Vietnam has quickly moved from a tightly bonded, inclusive and caring society to one that favours productivity, progress and economic development, and this has had clear impacts on the retirees. While it is difficult and not necessarily beneficial to try and make the retirement years “golden years” in one’s life, it is certainly important that the government, communities and every member of society change their views towards retirees and help ensure that everyone is allowed to lead a productive and engaging lifestyle regardless of age and socioeconomic status.

It is often said that youth is often wasted on the young. How far do you agree?

Youth has its own natural attributes- energised physique makes everything seem easy and accessible, cognitive intelligence paves the path. Hence, innovative ideas develop and find implementation. The enhanced standards of education and introduction of science and technology adds to their efficiency making them charismatic workers. However, the other side of the coin presents a different picture. The youth is the embodiment of rigid, inflexible stubbornness. They lack in patience and experience. As such the rare gifts and natural talents are recklessly wasted. The abundance of glamour and pleasures make time slip away unnoticed. The counselling of the venerable class goes unheeded. It would be well to understand that the young generation is immature and cannot decide which path to adopt and which to abandon. The role of parents, teachers and society together with the standard of education are the deciding factors that make the young people to utilize fruitfully or to waste heedlessly the wealth of youth.

Young people, as opposed to the senior citizens, possess the potentials to bring about positive transformation in societies, to write success stories and to add to the aesthetic world by creative intervention, provided that their natural instincts and strengths are directed and channelized properly. Young people bring an end to age old conservative thoughts, dogmas and social evils.
The greatest barrier in social progress is ignorance and age old conservative thoughts. It is the young group that can help to eradicate these.

In many of the lesser developed societies, we still find gender-based bias, early marriages, dowry deaths, and child labour as highly prevalent. Despite attempts made by national and international organizations active in this direction, these enigmatic features continue to shame humanity. The young generation can do a lot to clean the society of such evils. They have the insight to comprehend the problem, the ability to find a solution and also the strength to have them implemented. There are many examples that show the revolutionary attitude of the millennials to wage a war against social evils. History has evidence of major changes brought through youthful initiatives and influences. As the young freedom fighters could achieve Independence for their country, today’s youth can free the societies of its foes in the shape of evils. The millennials extend support to social well- being through modern thoughts and innovative functioning

Young people today are successful entrepreneurs and social activists. They can not only revolutionize the digital scene but can also help fight against pollution, conserve natural resources and eradicate poverty. The trend of entrepreneurship initiated by Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg has paved the way for new generation of kids. Kevin Systrom and Mike Kreiger co-founders of the digital company, Instagram, are under 30; Shrawan Kumaran and Sanjay Kumaran, India’s young digital developers are only 12 and 14 years old and have co- founded Go Dimensions; Dylan Mahalingam, only at the age of nine in 2006, founded LilMDG’s , an organization in collaboration with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals; Madison Robinson, the fifteen year old entrepreneur from Texas, is making good profit in her clothing industry Fish Flop; and, Malala Yousafzai, the social activist fighting for education for all and the winner of Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, was only seventeen that time. These success stories suggest the triumph and intense utilization of youthful character, not its waste. Recent passion for technology has triggered a number of young people working in the direction of digital development and the sense of responsibility towards social issues is increasing day by day.

The young minds and hands possess creativity. A number of young people are showing their talents in the field of art, music, dance, drama, film making and sports, making this world a place of great grandeur. Talents in the field of art and literature are continued even as the folk arts are inherited and carried forward by the youth. Young fingers are engaged in creating masterpieces and instruments vibrate magic. Zachary David Zach Sobiech was an American rock singer who was suffering from cancer in 2012; instead of being disheartened by his eminent mortality he wrote songs and gave performances for his near and dear ones and his greatest hit, Clouds, became a You Tube sensation; his music, after his passing away, continues to motivate people to live their life to the fullest. Missy Franklin won Six Gold medals in 2012 Olympics but turned down her financial endorsement to continue her college education. Such talents are no doubt rare, but they, never the less belong to the young.

The role of performance arts, fine arts, folk arts, writings enriches the aesthetic wealth of the globe, adding a soulful satisfaction to human existence. Such young people who are conscious, conscientious and creative, constitute a smaller percentage of the entire mass. The majority of the young generation waste their time and talent in a callous search for momentary pleasures.

More often than not they do not listen to their guardian’s advice and do as they will. Having no respect for the time they let opportunities slip by. Nomophobia is the most widespread ailment of modern youth who cannot survive without their cell phones. Late night parties, friend circles, movies and careless gallivanting are symptoms of the rich while the less affluent take resort to cheap wines, drugs, abuse and violence. They fail to realize their more responsible roles in social development as imposed on them by the demographic transition and dependency ratio. According to the most recent demographic projections, which suggests an increase in the percentage of aged people and a decline in the percentage of the young, the youth will be under greater social and moral pressure of the greybeards. It is ironical that by the time a sense of realization will dawn upon them they will be too senescent for any useful activity. Most of the young population either misuse their potentials or remain idle, undisciplined and violent.

There is a tremendous burden on the young generation and the factors of insecurity and unemployment add to their adversities. Lack of proper guidance and the exposure to technology- social media and easy communication modes of cell phones- deviate them from their path. If they lack the vision to recognise their potentials and appear to be wasting their youth, it is not entirely their fault. Their performances need to be appreciated, their problems require to be sorted out and their trust has to be won by the elders and the societies promoting their participation. Today young people need to be empowered. If these conditions are met, the young will make the best use of their youth.

The young people are equipped with abilities to function wonderfully. They are doing so in various fields. But, there are a number of young people, moving towards senile ageing, without noticing the important fact that time was slipping away silently, like sand through the gaps between fingers.
Problems of unemployment, insecure future, family burden and immense exposure to dazzling distractions of modernity are preventing the young from realizing their goals and prompting the wastage of youth.

The massive rate at which the world population is ageing will give rise to unimaginable problems. How far do you agree?

The world population is ageing very fast owing to the blessings of longevity and improved health facilities. In 2006 the world’s elders were estimated to be 500 million which is predicted to reach 1 billion by 2030. On a global level, the increase in octogenarians is projected to increase by 151% between 2005 and 2030; the increase in 65 and above population is projected to grow by 104% and an increase of 21% for the population under age 65. This increase in the ageing population coupled with a decrease in the number of young people is creating a kind of social imbalance. This demo graph is evolving problems which are predicted to grow severe with passing time. Nations and governments have started developing strategies to minimize the effects of this demographic transition, but how successful these strategies will be, and at what cost, is a serious point of contemplation. The excessive increase in the ageing population of the world will create severe problems for the government, for the young generation as well as for the seniors themselves.

Today the number of elderly is increasing at a vast rate and the governments are finding it difficult to provide financial security and health care to them for the extended years of their lives. The first major necessity of the elders is of health services and long term care. Second, is to extend financial support through pension plans and the next is to arrange for other facilities like transport, roads, recreation centres and community centres for them. All this requires strong economic growth which is not possible in the shrinking young population scenario.

 As the workforce in all nations has fallen low, the development programs are under stress, the revenue generation is inadequate. It is becoming tough for governments to mobilize and allocate resources in various schemes. In order to satisfy the essential requirements of the growing number of old people for a growing number of years, other development programs have to be compromised with. It may be quite possible that caring for the elderly will be like ignoring the children and investing in nursing homes will slash the budget meant for schools and teachers. A number of health workers and nursing staff will be migrating from low-income areas to high-income areas. The required revenue cannot be generated from the shrinking workforce and the governments have to cut down the pensions and increase the retirement age. Even then it is uncertain that the situation will be under control.

Today there is a fewer number of people in the workforce,  who on one hand, have to bear the burden of supporting the nation’s finance through revenue generation, and on the other hand, support the elderly in every way. Earlier there were a number of children, siblings and young members in a family and it was easier to take care of the few elders in it. But today such families have disappeared. Longevity has developed the trend of a four-generation family with a single young member or a couple at the most. These young people have to undertake dual responsibility in the family, of taking care of the children as well as of parents and grandparents; at the same time, they cannot ignore their professional workload and demands of society. These members of the younger generation also have to cut down expenses to invest in the security insurance plans. They also bear some liability towards other veterans in the community. Many times the young member can be compelled to move abroad or to another place for jobs and face moral pressure of leaving the elders uncared. This clearly implies that the ageing population is imposing every kind of -physical, mental, financial, social and moral -burden on the young.

The ageing population will have innumerable challenging issues for themselves. They will suffer in many ways, in health, finance and social security. Senility and debility hold the elders by hand. Most of the elderly are found ailing with chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer and cardiac problems. The recent development of geriatrics offers cure from these but in most cases, the patient falls into some kind of disability making long term care essential. The cost of treatment and long term care is not within everybody’s reach and government-aided facilities will become insufficient in the coming times. Growing in age makes them lose their spouses and having fewer children or remaining childless leaves them devoid of family care. Even if some of them would be fortunate enough to have children, yet the children would stay near and care for them is doubtful. Most of the baby boomers are also found deficient in education and skills as demanded by modern technical professions. Hence it is unlikely that they will be able to continue in the labour force despite good health and fitness. They will have to bear the insult of working under younger bosses. Slashing of pensions as imposed by many governments will leave them in clutches of poverty. Senescent and lonely, the elderly will have to compromise with circumstances.

Ageing of the world is, after all, not a big problem, as the communities are growing conscious and supportive even as the governments are developing plans for comfortable ageing. The situation has come before all and everyone from individuals to communities and governments are moving in the direction to enhance the quality of life for the senior citizens.

That the families have fewer young members is a positive trait. These members are strong and dutiful and accept their liability towards their elders. Emotions and morals attach them to their parents and grandparents. The communities are making special spaces for elders; libraries, recreation centres, parks, fitness, physiotherapy and yoga centres are mushrooming in societies. Organisations like the World Bank and UNESCO; the programs of MDG’s and SDG’s will not let the veterans to starve or to die aidless. There are practical solutions to this over-emphasized problem of an ageing world. The elderly themselves are becoming more and more responsible day by day making self-esteemed and self-earned status for themselves. The elders themselves are beginning to take responsibilities, working for more years and making arrangements for their retirement. They are reducing the impact of compressed workforce and pressure on the government.

Despite the emotional and moral strengths, it will not be possible for the young members to look after the elderly. They have their own pressing priorities of jobs, personal health and social issues. However much the old people may want, they will not be able to remain productive and self-dependent. The government will also increase revenues, decrease pension amounts and increase the retirement age. Communicable and non-communicable diseases will show their impact and leave the elderly in the lap of loneliness and poor health. Migration and increasing fertility rates are solutions no doubt but do not appear practical

The ageing of the world is going to develop problematic issues for the nation, for the young and for the elderly. But an overall awareness and active participation of all in solving this crucial problem will soon bring about a positive change in the situation. But so far as strategies have not been implemented it has to be accepted that population ageing will develop unimaginable problems.  

Quality of life is more important than longevity. Discuss.

Good essay that scored very well for prelim but has an excessively long introduction and conclusion. If it wasn’t so well written, the author would have been penalised for writing more than 800 words.

Conjecture science empowers mankind to be immortal, what will one then do for infinity? The great yearning at present is to prevail to a hale and hearty mature age but such questions help place into standpoints just what is gratifying as regards to life. This scepticism furthermore brings to the fore that humans would not crave to reiterate homogeneous measures in production-line approach. An ilk of Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative quizzes, “what does what we are doing achieve?” On assumption that we function as infinite beings notwithstanding forming slight and superficial merits, Man may wish to reassess the significance of permanence and construct an enhanced quality of life. It is commonplace to evaluate longevity against quality of life which refers to the general well-being of individuals and societies. The rapid pace of technological advancements in science and medicine in the 21st century suggests that mortals can look forward to living pleasantly in their extended senior era. However, with a societal fixation on length of life, it appears that quality of life is still less critical despite the latest developments. 

Every individual of the human race aspires to extend their lifespan and this hope is being met by scientific innovations in medicine. Latest developments in science and medicine includes a technique that radically ameliorates the efficiency of crafting stem cells from human adult tissue without the exploitation of embryonic cells hence forging momentous strides in addressing a major challenge in the progress of stem-cell-based medicine, production of vaccine for cervical cancer, and advanced findings about brain proteins imply a promising novel tactic against Alzheimer’s disease. Average length of life is increasing on a global scale which results in impending challenges. By the year 2050, a quarter of the universe’s population will be over 60 and it is to be expected that these people will be afflicted with chronic illnesses in relation to geezerhood that will necessitate relentless care. A rampant and relevant apprehension is that science and medicine offer short-term assuaging for sustained breath but may fail to result in a fitter life. Already, there are intense ethical disputes over euthanasia, whether patients in terminal stages of their ailments and in constant misery should be permissible to bring forth the conclusion to their life expectancy. Thus, irrespective of the latest developments in science and medicine, quality of life has more bearing as compared to a wearisome and distressful but drawn-out lifespan.

Given that the latest developments in science and medicine are projected to protract longevity, countries worldwide can envisage aging populations. An extended length of life hence may adversely impinge on quality of life, which comprises nine factors founded on The Economist Intelligence Unit’s quality-of-life index to be exact, material interest, life expectancy at birth, political stability and security ratings, domestic life, community activity, climate and geography, job security or unemployment rate, political autonomy, as well as gender equality. An aging population however indicates that the economy has fewer productive human capital but faces rising expenditures such as social welfare and healthcare services. Therefore, a lengthened lifetime because of scientific betterment in medicine pales in review of a superior quality of life which is a more comprehensive evaluation of value of existence.

On the other hand, while the existence of life may be observed objectively, its quality can only be weighed up intuitively. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s quality-of-life index is primarily grounded in the western hedonistic tradition but there are no collectively agreed norms for quality of life, for each person confers disparate significance to the myriad aspects of life and even this metamorphosis with varying circumstances. The notion of averaging out people’s heterogeneous assessments to form a conglomerate metric of quality of life ignores its fundamentally contextual nature and its intrinsic subjectivity. Since quality of life is extremely capricious to employ in shaping clinical decisions, all we can reasonably do is to muse on the tangible and the measurable, to prolong the physiological homeostasis as long as we are able to with the latest development in science and medicine.

It is rational to desire to survive for a lengthy lifetime but not with the sacrifice of a fulfilling existence. There are people who have led fleeting satisfactory lives whereas others may clock up the years with the support of science and medicine yet experience meaningless continuance. Lord Byron was merely 36 when he breathed his final. Nonetheless his poems remain widely peruse and influential even in this generation, both in the English-speaking communities and afar. Similarly for Vincent van Gogh, who aged 37 when he died, his fame grew in the years after his demise. Nowadays, he is broadly respected as one of history’s finest painters and an imperative contributor to the tenets of contemporary art. Although their premature mortality could have been probable to avert with modern science and medicine, it comes across that they have experienced several periods in one which is what in actuality matters. Conceivably, Woody Allen summed it up most aptly concerning latter-day society’s unwholesome obsession with prolonged longevity in his quote, “I don’t want to live forever through my work; I want to live forever by not dying.” Quality is of greater magnitude than quantity therefore people should not pin disproportionate optimism on the latest developments in science and medicine. Instead, strive for an enriching experience and there are likelihoods of a fuller life beyond death in which there are prospects for the soul’s development. (901 words)