Over the years, there has been a controversial debate among the experts over the implications improved health services and subsequently, extended lifetime of population can have on the life quality of the next generations. Is it a wise move to increase the longevity of humans to an uncontrolled extent or it should be done in a way that curbs its negative effects on the our prospects.
On the one hand, it can be argued that the purpose of scientific and technological developments is to make the life as more enjoyable as it could be and one way of attaining this is to prolong the number of years individuals can spend with their loved ones. Advocates of this view believe that no matter how luxurious and high quality one’s material life is, it won’t cover the sadness of losing a family member or a close friend.
On the other hand, however, a broader outlook on this issue brings up the concerns regarding the impacts of a larger population on the life quality of the elderly and our children. Improved life expectancy not only introduces shortage of resources such as water, food, dwelling, etc., but it also contributes to environmental complications such as global warming and pollution. Additionally, it puts an unprecedented financial pressure on the governments to support the retired people as a result of longer years of life after retirement.
To summarize, both advantages and disadvantages of increased life expectancy must be taken into account when the governments draw their strategy to deal with this issue. In my opinion, although the benefits of longer lifetime outweighs its negative effects, we should find a balance between the cost of medical services and our future prospects, leaving enough rooms for our children to control the possible complications in the future.