For the primary time in human history, we now have entered an era through which reaching old age is taken with no consideration. Unlike in ages past, when living to an older age was a luxury afforded mainly to the privileged, globally around 79% of ladies and 70% of men can expect to succeed in the age of 65 and beyond.
Despite longer life expectancy, many individuals within the contemporary west see growing old as undesirable and even scary. Research shows, nonetheless, that anxiety about ageing may actually be fear of the unknown.
Society’s concentrate on youthfulness and capability may cause anxiety about becoming weak and unwanted. Adverts for anti-ageing products are all over the place, reinforcing the concept that growing older is inherently unattractive.
Some people fear ageing a lot that it becomes a pathological condition called gerascophobiaresulting in irrational thoughts and behavior, for instance, a fixation on health, illness and mortality and a preoccupation with hiding the signs of ageing.
We ceaselessly hear about attempts to reverse ageing, often by the super wealthy. For example, Bryan Johnsona 45-year-old American entrepreneur, is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a 12 months to acquire the physical age of 18.
While the will to reverse ageing is just not a brand new phenomenon, advancements in biomedicine have brought it closer.
Work published by genetics professor David Sinclair at Harvard University in 2019 suggests that it might be possible to challenge the boundaries of cell reproduction to increase our lifespan, for instance. His information theory of ageing argues that reprogramming DNA can improve damaged and old tissues, and delay and even reverse ageing. However, these latest possibilities can even heighten our fear of ageing.
From the unproductive to undervalued
People haven’t at all times dreaded growing older. In many societies, older people was once widely considered clever and necessary – and in some they still are.
In ancient China, there was a culture of respecting and searching for advice from older members of the family. There continues to be an ethos of filial piety (showing reverence and take care of elders and ancestors) today, even when it’s not as pronounced because it was once. The same went for medieval Europewhere older people’s experiences and wisdom were highly valued.
However, the economic revolution within the west from the 18th century led to a cultural shift where older people became excluded from society and were considered unproductive. People who had surpassed the age to work, alongside those with incurable diseases, were regarded by society as “evils” in need of assistance.
The treatment of older people has taken a special form for the reason that early twentieth century. The introduction of universal pension systems made ageing a central concern in welfare systems. But because the demands for social and health care have increased, journalists increasingly portray ageing as a burden on society.
Consequently, growing older is commonly related to managing the danger of ailing health and alleviating the onus of care from younger relatives. This can lead to the institutionalisation of older people in residential facilities that keep them hidden, sequestered from the notice of younger generations.
Research analysing the responses of 1,200 US adults from the American Association of Retired Persons’ Images of Ageing survey shows that much of the perceived fear of ageing is closely aligned with the fear of the unknown, relatively than the ageing process itself. This fear is barely exacerbated by the largely separate lives lived by older and younger generations.
The prevalence of nuclear families and the decline of traditional mixed-generational communities have deprived younger people of the chance to more fully understand the experiences of older people. Plus, the rapid increase in house prices means many young people cannot afford to live near their older relatives.
The separation of older people from children and young people has sparked generational conflicts that seemingly proceed to grow wider than ever. Older persons are ceaselessly portrayed within the media as conservative and privileged, making it difficult for younger generations to grasp why older people act and think the way in which they do.
Intergenerational interactions
Academics suggest that creating a system for older and younger generations to interact in on a regular basis settings is significant.
A set of three UK-based studies in 2016 analysed and compared the consequences of direct contact, prolonged contact and interactions between younger (aged 17 to 30) and older people (65 and over). The findings indicated that good quality direct intergenerational contact can improve young people’s attitudes towards older adults (especially when sustained over time).
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Intergenerational programmes have been adopted globally, including mixed and intergenerational housing, community choirs and senior volunteers reading to young children in nurseries.
Studies show that these activities can’t only enhance the wellbeing of older people but in addition help younger people gain an appreciation of ageing as a worthwhile and fulfilling life stage.
Getting anxious about growing older is normal, just as we experience anxieties in other stages of life, corresponding to adolescence and marriage. But here’s the thing – as an alternative of seeing ageing as a looming figure, it will be significant to understand it’s just a component of life.
Once we understand ageing as a daily experience, we are able to let go of those worries and approach the journey through different life stages with a positive attitude and a fortified will to complement our lives and the lives of those around us.