Age as a Lens on Pressing Social Issues

Age is a lens through which we can view other crises. This lens enables us to see the intersectionality of issues that appear to be separate. It also exposes the strengths, weaknesses, and inherent, urgent responsibilities of society for young and old alike.

• Demographics. In 2017, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs predicted that by 2050 the world’s population over 60 years old will reach 2 billion. In the United States, a 2017 Census Bureau report predicted that by 2050 the country's over-60 will be more than 83 million. And it said that by 2035, for the first time, there will be more older adults than children. These statistics have multiple implications for the labor force, health care, social security, housing, transportation, consumerism, education, and family patterns.
• Income inequality. Income inequality and longevity inequality (inequality in the number of years lived) are correlated. A 2016 study by Eric Newmayer and Thomas Plumper found that governments could reduce differences in life span among diverse groups with policies that increased wealth in low-income communities.
• Gender inequality. Gender and age intersected in a 2001 study reported by Michael Anzick and David A. Weaver of the Social Security Office of Policy. The poverty rate for older women was 11.8 percent, compared with 6.9 percent for men in the same age group. And for unmarried women it wa 17 percent.
• Racial inequality. The poverty rate for older people of color is more than twice as high as the rate for all older people. In 2019, Sabrina Terry reported for the National Community Reinvestment Coalition that 83 percent of African American senior households and 90 percent of Hispanic senior households have insufficient money to live out their years, compared with 53 percent of Whites. Racial health disparities also result in lower life expectancy. For example, Black women appear to be aging faster than White counterparts. A 2010 study led by Arline T. Geronimus, published in Human Nature, found that Black women between the ages of 49 and 55 are seven-and-a-half years biologically older than White peers due to chronic stress. The evidence: shorter chromosome telomeres, indicating cell death and poor survival.
• Sexual orientation inequality. In a large study of gender identity and age, reported by Karen I. Fredriksen-Goldsen et al. in The Gerontologist, the researchers found dramatic health disparities between LGBTQ people over 50 and their heterosexual counterparts. For example, older gay men and women were more likely to have chronic disease and depression, and same-sex couples faced higher poverty rates than their heterosexual peers.
• Voting. According to a report by Joy Intriago on the website seniormatters.com, a 2012 study on voting and age revealed that 90 percent of people over 60 are registered to vote, while only 75 percent of those between 18 and 30 are. As the older demographic grows, so does their impact.
• Immigration. There is a surprising link between age and immigration. Mauro F. Guillen of the Wharton School suggested that there is one proven way to rebalance our low birth rate with our growing older population: immigration. Contrary to conventional wisdom, most immigrants are of working age; in the United States in 2017, their average age was 31. Guillen proposes encouraging the immigration of health care workers such as doctors, nurses, and home health aides, who are needed to address the increasing needs of those in late life.
• Mental health and gun policy. The intersection of age, guns, poverty, and isolation has created an epidemic of suicide among White men over 50. According to a 2016 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3,291 men over age 75 committed suicide, compared with 510 women of the same age. The causes: deteriorating physical health, cognitive impairment, emotional pain, and guns in the home. Kim Soffer reported in the Washington Post that higher rates of gun ownership among older adults was linked to higher rates of suicide.
• Addiction. The face of addiction is growing older. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the U.S. population over 55 increased 6 percent from 2013–2015, while the proportion of that population seeking treatment for opioid abuse increased 54 percent. And the proportion of those using heroin more than doubled during that period. In addition, 65 percent of people over 65 reported high-risk alcohol use, and more than a tenth of them reported binge drinking. Clearly, addiction in older adults intersects with chronic pain, loss, financial stress, isolation, and mental illness.
• Climate change. Finally, those of us in late life are more susceptible to the widespread effects of climate change than others. A 2016 Environmental Protection Agency fact sheet listed the risks: Extreme heat events increase dangers for those with heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes. Evacuations due to fires or floods may not be possible due to personal or institutional mobility limitations. Poorer air quality due to warming, pollution, and dust worsens preexisting respiratory conditions. Contaminated water exacerbates gastrointestinal problems. The Baby Boomers were the first generation to wake up to the interconnectedness of ecosystems and the impact of our lifestyle choices on our habitat. We were the first to observe the changes in climate patterns due to increasing CO2 in the atmosphere from fossil fuels. Climate change didn’t start with us, but 85 percent of the carbon that’s been poured into the atmosphere in all of history has been emitted during the past 30 years. It is a huge part of our legacy, and it’s our obligation to do whatever we can to protect future generations from its consequences.

We can see from this short list of issues that age is a lynchpin for action on our social and economic problems. But if we deny our age and its value because we buy into collective ageist norms, how will any of these profound issues be addressed in the context of age? How will we, as individuals, find the moral voice of the Elder and support younger generations to take the path forward to a better quality of life for everyone? We can see, through this lens, that it’s time for an age-justice movement.