In recent years, human life expectancy has significantly increased compared with earlier decades. Whilst some argue that elderly people place a burden on the government, others contend that it is a beneficial development for society. I believe the advantages of having the elderly far outweigh the disadvantages, and I will discuss both the benefits and drawbacks.
On the one hand, an ageing population helps society in numerous ways due to their wisdom and life experience. By not only sharing but also guiding, older adults can offer their extensive experience and knowledge to the next generation. For example, in almost all fields, such as medicine, architecture, and engineering, only those workers with extensive experience that exceeds fifteen years can provide comprehensive training to new employees, which shows how valuable seniors are in the workforce. Moreover, in many cases, families rely on grandparents to care for young children while parents work.
On the other hand, senior citizens pose some challenges for healthcare services. This means that as a population ages, health and mental health issues increase, leading to a significant drain on hospital resources and staff. For instance, a 2023 study in France showed that older patients make up 72% of total patients, indicating a large share of healthcare expenditure devoted to older adults. Furthermore, most senior citizens tend to take part-time jobs because of their reduced physical capacity, which can potentially slow economic growth and threaten government finances.
To conclude, although an ageing population has certain drawbacks, I am convinced that the benefits are more substantial. Passing on in-depth experience and training to the next generation and supervising grandchildren cannot occur without older adults.