Ageing Population: Social Issues and Media Concerns

### Ageing Population: Challenges and Opportunities

• Increasing life expectancy doesn't always equate to a healthy life expectancy, raising concerns about health and social care needs.
• Social class intersects with age, leading to unequal life chances for different age groups.
• Material deprivation and inequality are exacerbated in later life due to factors like class, gender, ethnicity, employment, and sexuality.
• Individuals who face challenges entering the labor market are often the most materially deprived.
• Lower-income countries may neglect older adults due to other pressing issues.
• Social implications of ageing include health status, work status, experiences of inequalities, and isolation.

Media Concerns

• Media frequently expresses concerns about the healthcare system's capacity to manage the needs of an aging population, highlighting issues like bed-blockers and inequalities in affordability.
• Older individuals are perceived as a drain on taxpayers due to their social care needs.
• Digital services can exclude older individuals, further exacerbating social inequalities.
• The traditional concept of retirement at a younger age is unsustainable due to the strain it places on the welfare state.
• The notion of a "crisis" surrounding aging is often used to distract from other social and political issues.
• A shift away from "deficit models" of aging is crucial, recognizing that successful aging extends beyond paid employment contributions.

Positive Aspects of an Aging Society

• Individuals over 65 contribute economically through work, taxes, and spending power.
• They contribute to society through charitable giving and volunteering, including childcare which can save money for families and the state.
• The elderly contribute financially to younger generations through inheritance, housing, and gifts.
• Time, rather than age, is the primary factor contributing to rising healthcare costs.

Media Concerns About Youth

• Millennials are often stereotyped in the media, exaggerating differences between generations.
• The burden of higher education debt heavily affects students, particularly those from lower-income backgrounds.
• Only a small percentage of students are expected to fully repay their student debt.
• While there is increasing support for right-wing policies and uncertainty, millennials exhibit greater tolerance towards issues like homosexuality and racial diversity.

Age as a Social Construct

• Age is a social construct that impacts the lives of individuals across societies, leading to social divisions and inequalities.
• The perception of age varies drastically between cultures, with some societies valuing older individuals while others view them as low status.
• Technological and social change create distinct lived experiences between generations.
• Global aging is occurring at an uneven pace, resulting in significant inequalities in life expectancy.

Adolescence

• Adolescence is a crucial stage for laying the foundation for future health and well-being.
• The period is marked by various health issues, including educational inequalities, where attending university is often seen as a "rite of passage" primarily accessible to young people from higher-income families.
• Additional challenges for adolescents include food shortages, conflict, and economic hardship.

University Education & Inequalities

• The marketization of university education has resulted in the introduction of student fees, subsequent price increases, changes in research funding, and reduced subsidies.
• Education has transformed from a social good into an individual consumer good, acquired in the marketplace, with uncertain economic rewards.

Middle Age

• Middle age is characterized by events that can affect economic security, well-being, mental health, and can lead to poverty. These events include:
  • The birth of children
  • Children leaving home
  • Divorce
  • The onset of disability
  • Unemployment and redundancy
  • Retirement
• The "sandwich generation" faces the challenge of caring for both younger and older generations, adding emotional and financial stresses.
• The COVID pandemic has increased the pressures on the "sandwich generation", requiring them to support multiple generations.

Intersectionality and Generational Comparisons

• **Women tend to live longer than men, but face poorer health and higher rates of disability due to accumulated economic disadvantages. **
• The "feminization of poverty" becomes increasingly apparent in older age.
• Older women face issues of invisibility and are more susceptible to ageism than men.

The Lifecourse Concept

• Early life experiences, particularly those related to socioeconomic factors like social class and income, influence later life outcomes.
• Social background plays a crucial role in early educational achievements.
• Inequalities experienced in early life, such as spending childhood in poverty, can impact long-term health.
• Generational differences in experiences like unstable employment, home ownership, and inheritance contribute to disparities in the lifecourse.

Challenges Faced by Millennials

• Millennials face numerous challenges:
  • Demographic change
  • Brexit
  • Globalization
  • Technological change
  • Environmental change
  • Policy changes like increasing university fees coupled with stagnating wages.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has further affected millennials through job losses, difficulties adapting to remote work, and lower well-being.