The world is currently experiencing a remarkable increase in life expectancy, where a society is being challenged by issues arising from this revolution in longevity. Although the perspective of long life looks beneficial if it is accompanied by good health and purpose, with personal, social and cultural benefits. It also comes up with disadvantages and challenges. However, these benefits may extend not only to the individual but also to their family, community and society.
One of the greatest advantages of a long life is the accumulation of wisdom through diverse life experiences, where elderly individuals serve as advisors, mentors and role models to younger generations. It means sharing wisdom has positive effects on younger persons, which include assistance with the development of life skills, exposure to new relationships and opportunities, and also helps in overcoming obstacles and barriers related to life. This advantage helps in promoting youth development, which is not only helpful to increase the frequency of contact in between older and younger adults.
Another important advantage is getting more time to improve the relationship. Furthermore, the latest discovery from what is believed to be the longest study into human happiness suggests that the secret of a long and healthy life lies in building and maintaining good, close relationships with other people. These strong social connections can provide emotional support, reduce stress, and increase feelings of happiness and belonging, which in turn may have beneficial effects on physical health and promote a longer and healthier life.
A long life can benefit individuals by providing an opportunity to pursue multiple interests, careers or personal goals. In a long life, a person might explore different paths which include shifting career, learning new skills or engaging in voluntary work. However, lifelong learning and the freedom to explore one's interests can bring long-lasting satisfaction along with a purpose in life.
The longevity of life made the older adult a considerable force for social contribution, where they volunteered for other people and made it their own meaningful experience for both altruistic and more self-directed reasons. Furthermore, their skills and knowledge are still considered relevant for mentorship, charity work or civic engagement.
Most of the research on emotional intelligence extended the adult age range to include middle-aged and older adults. Different measures of emotional intelligence have consistently reported that older adults have significantly higher scores than young adults in emotional intelligence. Older adults may have a greater perspective, patience and resilience, which help them in improving life challenges efficiently. However, it mostly developed a deeper sense of gratitude for life relationships. The advantage of long life identified a number of physical and emotional health benefits that most adults saw as directly and indirectly living their life with purpose and connection.
One of the most prominent drawbacks of long life is ageing, which is a gradual and irreversible pathophysiological process. It presents with declines in tissue and cell functions and significant increases in the risks of various ageing-related diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, and immune system diseases. Although the development of modern medicine has promoted human health and greatly extended life expectancy, it has also led to the ageing of society. These conditions take away the ability of individuals to act more independently in their daily life routine.
A longer life causes Ageing, which leads to social isolation or loneliness. However, people who are 50 years of age and older are more likely to experience many of the risk factors that can cause or exacerbate social isolation or loneliness, such as the death of loved ones, worsening health and chronic illness, new sensory impairment, retirement, or changes in income.
Another major drawback is retirement, a major life transition that signifies the end of formal employment and the beginning of a new chapter. While it’s often associated with rest and leisure, it also comes with significant challenges, particularly in healthcare and financial stability. Furthermore, retirees face exclusive difficulties due to rapid urbanisation, economic inequalities, and gaps in recent times. However, an inadequate benefit to retirement may cause limited benefits to individuals, particularly elderly people.
Human populations are ageing rapidly because of longevity and rising life expectancies. Furthermore, longevity causes long-term care system deficiencies, health inequities, healthcare access barriers, end-of-life care needs, financial instability, elder abuse, adverse built environments, threats of climate disaster and social isolation.
Moreover, the latest research suggests that loneliness is a common pattern among adolescents and younger people, older people, with approximately 11.8% individuals experiencing loneliness. A large body of research shows that social isolation and loneliness have a serious impact on physical and mental health, due to the extensive period of life.
Vulnerable populations like older individuals, who also tend to be excluded from digital services because they are unable to use the internet due to a lack of necessary devices and network connectivity, or are inexperienced with technology. Older adults who are frail and are not online. However, individuals who work in long-term care facilities struggle with the double burden of social and digital exclusion. However, a long life can offer more opportunities for growth and relationships.
On the other hand, it may cause physical decline, emotional suffering, financial stress, social issues and technological disconnection, which is most often faced by elderly individuals. However, this issue can be addressed with compassion and foresight, as it is not a bigger issue but a true blessing for individuals.
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