What are the advantages and disadvantages for society, when people Essay

What are the advantages and disadvantages for society, when people live longer lives - Essay Example This review will explicate the fact that when people live longer, it is both beneficial and detrimental to the societies in which they live. To start with, research has shown that contrary to the perception that when people live longer they are merely burden to society; there are actually some very significant benefits if people live longer. For instance, when people live longer lives, they are a valuable asset to society because of the vast amount of knowledge they have acquired about different issues throughout their lives. While old people may often be perceived as ancient and outdated, it is indisputable that the present-day advancements in most spheres of life were borne out of foundations that were set up when those who are in their old age today were younger (Johnson & De Souza, 2008, p. 24). As such, the opinions and expertise that can be attained from those who have lived long are invaluable to society. While the opinions of the elderly may not be given from a professional standpoint, the mere fact that they have spent more time alive makes their opinions worth seeking. For instance, in the current tough economic times, most people forget that there are people who have lived, and survived tougher economic times during the economic depressions that followed the two world wars. In this situation therefore, the opinion of someone who lived through both wars is clearly invaluable to society. Another advantage of people living longer is that they are able to pass on positive societal values to the younger generation. During recent decades, societies globally have been able to get rid of values that were detrimental to society. Such values include male chauvinism and racism. However, societies have also adopted some values that are of no benefit to them. In fact, the family unit which is the most basic unit of any society has been negatively affected by the current trend of doing away with any value that is considered ‘traditional’ irrespective of