The dawn of a new social era

Rising life expectancy will redefine society in the 21st century. Nevertheless, our consideration of the consequences for social and economic structures is superficial. It’s time to look at living conditions in the aged society from a more nuanced point of view – and develop the social infrastructure it needs.

By Stephan Sigrist

The fact that our society is aging has long been an official component of every scenario of the future, from health care and retirement income to the real estate industry. Even manufacturers of electronic gadgets have been focusing for quite a long time on the requirements of elderly consumers, in the form of supposedly highly innovative devices with oversized keys or colourful watches that take your pulse, for example. The most important fields of action were also identified long ago: we need more old people’s homes and more care professionals and we’ll all have to work for longer. 

But these perceptions are barely reflected in reality. Because although it’s well known and undisputed that people over 60 will outnumber the rest of the population in the foreseeable future, social values, consumption and culture are still largely focused on dynamic youth. Getting old – associated by the majority with a deterioration of physical and mental capacity, dynamism and flexibility – is largely ignored: old people are rarely part of the urban landscape of pulsating megacities, meetings of young and old are becoming increasing rare apart from the odd family celebration. For most people, there’s no place in everyday life for thoughts on aging.

As a consequence, conceptions about the aging society are fairly undifferentiated, confined to stereotypical images with dystopian features on the one hand and utopian ones on the other. The central motif is that of a society suffering from declining productivity and losing out on dynamic power and economic growth to emerging economies with a much higher proportion of youth in their populations. Pension income is no longer guaranteed, resulting in serious poverty in old age and compelling people to work till they drop. On the other hand, a narrative antithesis of the "silver surfer" or the "golden generation" has been promoted for some time now, presenting old people as active drivers of consumer goods markets who go on to an advanced age with the desires of their youth and active adult years, taking trips to Goa and Honolulu and bolstering the cosmetics and functional food industries to new heights.

And so today we are poised on the brink of perhaps the greatest social revolution of the 21st century without giving serious consideration to the consequences for society and the economy. There are still no realistic solutions and ideas as to how older people can remain integrated in everyday working life. And there is little answer to the question of how solidarity between old and young could be revitalised.

Two areas require action:

1. Rethink getting older

On the one hand, role stereotypes need to be counterbalanced by a nuanced position that takes account of both the occasionally harsh reality of getting older and its positive consequences. That means assuming that if we live longer we will also automatically have to work for longer, that as the average age increases chronic diseases will increase further, and that more and more people will be faced with restrictions in “enjoying” the evening of their lives. It should also be assumed that the courage or desire to try out new things will decrease with the aging population. This does not mean, however, that old people don’t still have goals they want to achieve, don’t participate actively in life and above all that they cannot take responsibility – they just do so under different conditions. If these are fulfilled, new opportunities arise for individuals as well as for business and society. Three suggestions: 

-       Firstly: involve older people in community and family work

Many young families do not get help from relatives in child care – for geographic reasons or because the grandparents are themselves still working. Reputable agency platforms could be used to find pensioners who would like more social interaction and could take care of the children or the household on a flexible basis. That would be a meaningful activity for older people which would take the strain off young families and promote solidarity between young and old in the long term.

-       Secondly: employ older workers with technological support

Older people can stay in the workforce for longer with the help of digital technologies. The Internet, for example, enables people to work flexibly from home. That way, companies can benefit from the wealth of experience of older employees without further increasing their infrastructure costs. In the near future, robots could take on the heavy physical work in nursing, for example, while emotional care can be provided by human specialists well into old age.

-       Thirdly: plan lives and careers more flexibly

Finally, the greatest opportunity comes from the new, extra time we will gain from the additional years. They allow us more flexibility, and consequently fresh perspectives for planning both our careers and our personal lives. The concept of “life-long learning” could become genuine reality; it will be possible to start studying for a second degree at the age of 65, after all. It will also be easier to combine a career with a family – the longer employment horizon will leave enough time to take up career development again after caring for children.

2. Build the age infrastructure

To use these and other sources of potential in the aged society, we need concrete, applied research fields and pilot projects aimed at developing a new infrastructure for it.

First and foremost, this demands an extended definition of innovation, with a focus that goes beyond the technical capabilities of new products and the economic profitability of business models and incorporates the added value they bring for older people.

This entails a whole series of issues that have to be resolved for the aged society. For example, for machines to blend usefully into elderly people’s everyday lives – and be accepted by them – it is crucial to create meaningful man-machine interfaces and ensure that the machines are designed to be attractive and accessible. Robot nurses in Japan are often given the form of seals or bears for this reason. 

The infrastructure in the home also plays a central role. Dwellings should not only offer security but also encourage independent living and an active, healthy lifestyle. An award-winning home for senior citizens designed by Japanese architects demonstrates what this could mean: mimicking a fitness circuit, the accommodation has little slopes, extra-high drawers and climbing elements installed to force residents to strengthen their muscles on a daily basis. 

However, centre stage goes to the creation of role models of older people who can lead a fulfilled, active and productive life despite health handicaps. To develop and promote these is a key challenge for companies and policy-makers. In essence, however, the task begins in our everyday lives, among our own families and neighbours.

A shortened version of this essay was published in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung am Sonntag on January 25th, 2015.