The Golden Age of Aging

Believe it or not, we have entered the golden age of aging.  What does that mean?  It means that getting older is now the thing to do.  It means that people don’t just age and retire anymore.  Aging people now do just about everything under the sun, including continuing to work.

We used to reach a certain age and simply retire or at least move out of the way for the younger generations coming up.  The golden years were meant to be whistled away as we strolled down the beach.  Not anymore.

The golden age has arrived

Why have we reached this golden age at this place and time in history?  Over time, we have become more aware of our environment and of who we are as humans on this earth.  For example, we now know that we should protect the environment instead of doing things that continue to destroy the place where we live.  We have created movements and laws that help us preserve the environment and the animals that live in that environment.

It is the same with the human race.  We now want to protect the human race and all the different areas of that human race, including the aging populations across the globe.  We don’t want to push aside the older members of our society, we want to keep them involved and they want to stay involved.  This is due in large part to an awakening of the human mind - an evolution of the mind that has taken place over the last 50-60 years.

Since the 1960s, we have been in a constant state of flux and change.  Society has been pushed to its limits in all areas - cultural, civil, philosophical, medical, technical.  We are on a huge tidal wave that each generation has helped move higher and higher.  Within this era of great change, we have also looked inward and at ourselves - and how we treat each other.  We want to improve this area as well - including how we treat the older segment of the population.  This current time of introspection is similar to the self awareness changes that occurred during the Renaissance Period.  It was during that time that we moved from behind the scenes and placed the independent self front and center.  The new renaissance of self awareness is upon us.

The “perfect storm” for aging

Because of these major societal changes, we have now entered a perfect storm for the aging population.  There is a new sense of awareness of where we fit in society and in history - an awareness that tells us to keep going and don’t stop!  As we grow older, we are now asking many questions.  Why should I stop working at age 65?  Why can’t I finish my college education at 70?  Why can’t I start a business at 75 or run for president at 80?

This new mindset around aging is the same mindset that tells us that 50 is the new 40 and 60 is the new 50.  We want to keep moving, doing, working and not think about entering the last years of our life.  And because we have pushed society to change the mindset of aging, society has worked to accommodate these changes in every way.  All facets of society have become more aware of the aging population, but the greatest change has been seen in the workplace, where DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) initiatives are now key goals of every size company.  We have seen an explosion of job creation for older workers.  New departments and job titles now cover areas of Culture, People, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging - with the aging population taking a prominent spot within these new areas of focus.  

Baby Boomers boom again!

As far back as anyone can remember, we have been talking about the Baby Boomer generation.  We have followed them at every step of their lives and they have not disappointed us!  The Baby Boomer generation has played a part in every societal change since the 60’s, when they came of age.  And here we are talking about them again in 2021.  They are coming of age one more time, but this time it is to move society into another direction - embracing aging like never before.  Don’t be fooled, this rebellious generation always has a plan - they are not going away quietly.

Baby Boomers always push the boundaries and they are definitely the ones behind all of the changes that you see in society today around the aging process.  They want more out of each stage in life and the golden age is no exception.  Buckle up!  The golden age of aging is just starting - what a decade the 20’s will be!