In today’s modern society, where having a long life span has become very common, some argue that the older a person becomes, the more financial care should the government provide for them. Others, however, are in the opinion that people themselves should handle the burden of caring for themselves at all costs as they age to which I completely agree with.
On the one hand, the governments being held responsible for its older citizen’s care-taking expenses might be a good idea in certain ways since it means much less financial burden on older generations. When governments support the elderly with free medical treatment or allocate certain amount of money for them to treat themselves, the retired people can happily focus more on their both physical and mental well-being which ultimately results in increased life-span and a life without financial issues.
On the other hand, in this modern world, the elderly catering for themselves is not inevitable. Nowadays, younger generations are already preparing themselves for their life in retirement, saving up certain amounts of money constantly. Firstly, most middle- aged or even younger people started prioritizing their future and wish to spend their years in retirement independently. For example, when people are still capable of working, they plan to save up money, even in small amounts which will become millions or even billions until they reach the age of retirement. With most people, supporting themselves by this kind of independent mindset, there will not be a need for governments to interfere. Secondly, governments might have even more important issues to allocate the money on. Let’s cite global warming or pollution as an example which pose a huge threat on the entire population and spending money on its resolution is certainly more essential than providing for the older people. Finally and most importantly, the current conveniences create a perfect living and working conditions. For instance, finding a stable job and earning large amount of money has become easier thanks to social media and developments in job markets so that now employers even offer a bonus of financial support during retirement. This way, in my opinion, is more comfortable and sufficient for people rather that just expecting support from governments.
In conclusion, the life-conditions during the retirement is not the sole problem for governments, and I believe that it should be the main priority for people themselves to carefully plan how they spend their years in retirement.