The Role of Age in Today's Society

[KLafser]

I feel like change has happened so quickly in the past decades, with the advent of personal computing and cell phones, that it's easy for our society to leave the elderly in the dust.

This is a really key point and I think you're absolutely correct, but to me, it goes a level deeper than just straight up 'the technology'. I know tons of seniors, 65+, who are very active with devices across the board. Where I find the disparity is that a younger brain - likely based on not only youth but life long exposure to technology - processes information more quickly.

[Tsundoku_diva]

I think being respectful towards the elderly group should NEVER EVER leave our whole being. They had lived their lives without the technology and innovation we had today but they managed to survive on their own. There is a lot to learn from them despite (a lot of) them being traditional believers and close-minded. We may have differences but we are each other's cause and effect after all.

[kfwilson6]

Before reading this book, I was not in tune with our society's views of the elderly. However, after dwelling my mind on the depiction in Final Notice, I started to catch myself with feelings of impatience when an elderly person was crossing the street and slowing down my plan and progress. I think the author has done his job to make us think about these issues. It is sad and true that so many of our elderly are placed in nursing homes rather than being cared for by their families. I desire to slow down and give respect and appreciation for the older generation who have so much wisdom and experience to offer.

The book really does make you pay attention to your own reaction toward older people. My aunt, who is in her late 50's, tells me that she will go to the store and think "ugh why am I stuck behind this old person, move already!" only to realize they are pretty close in age to her. Makes you wonder at what point we really have compassion for people. Do we even notice when we become like those we have spent our lives criticizing? When you are that older person struggling to use your cellphone to pay your bill at Walmart, will you even realize you aren't keeping up with the younger generation? Have you ever seen someone write a check in the grocery line and think really??? There are times when I do not want to adapt to a new technology because I am comfortable with what I've been doing. I don't expect someone with a different technology to be outdone with me over it, but maybe they are just as frustrated with me as I am with the elderly woman writing a check.
You don't just have to control your actions, you need to censor your internal thoughts and guide your thinking int he direction of a compassion, understanding response.

[Katherine Smith]

I think that how we view the elderly is very Western oriented. In Western cultures, we typically value independence and self-reliance. This is why there is a whole industry focused on providing services and housing to elderly relatives instead of having a family member take care of them. Now, there are certain situations where this care cannot be provided such as those with dementia, but it is sad reality of our society.

[aaldaco]

The elderly are not as respected as they should be. Our society is slowly falling away from showing any sort of appreciation or consideration for those who are older.

[MARY GRACE AKUMU]

Noting that wisdom comes with age, the aged/elderly are very important in today's society. However, on a sad note the elderly are looked at as liability in today's society.

[kfwilson6]

I think that how we view the elderly is very Western oriented. In Western cultures, we typically value independence and self-reliance. This is why there is a whole industry focused on providing services and housing to elderly relatives instead of having a family member take care of them. Now, there are certain situations where this care cannot be provided such as those with dementia, but it is sad reality of our society.

Those industries actually seem to show a kindness and consideration for the elderly. They try to provide what people will want even when their own capabilities might be lacking. If someone can't see well enough to drive any more, that doesn't mean they never get to go anywhere, it just means they need another way of getting there. This should be the focus, not criticizing them or dealing with them with an attitude of impatience.

[kfwilson6]

I feel like change has happened so quickly in the past decades, with the advent of personal computing and cell phones, that it's easy for our society to leave the elderly in the dust.

This is a really key point and I think you're absolutely correct, but to me, it goes a level deeper than just straight up 'the technology'. I know tons of seniors, 65+, who are very active with devices across the board. Where I find the disparity is that a younger brain - likely based on not only youth but life long exposure to technology - processes information more quickly.

What a great insight. I think this is a very accurate statement. Up until my grandfather was in his 80's and developed dementia, he was the most tech savvy in the family. He could convert your VHS into a DVD, record music, troubleshoot your laptop (I have no idea how to do any of that).

[Butterflybookworm]

Unfortunately, I think today's society does tend to treat the elderly in the same way it's portrayed in this novel . People just seem to lose respect more and more towards those that are older and have more experience than they do. In our culture is is considered more normal to put people in nursing homes and assisted living facilities instead of keeping them at home with their family and the family helping them.

[Helen_Combe]

I think the media are very much behind changes towards the elderly. So often, they describe the elderly as a burden on our resources which is totally unfair, but younger people pick up on that language and think it’s OK because they saw it on TV or on in a newspaper.

[420waystoreachthesun]

I feel that in my community, the elderly are given too much respect. Their bitterness is conflated with wisdom. I find it quite problematic. It equates youth with folly.

[ReyvrexQuestor Reyes]

The role of age in society could not be answered unless we make the situation fit to some specific model or locality. For instance, it is not universal practice that the aged are relegated to nursing homes. In other countries, the elders are the nuclei of the families, living with the whole clan. There are some communities, influenced by their ethnicity, that the older members of society are revered and looked up to for wisdom. I guess it also depends on the physical and mental conditions of the elderly. In primitive tribes where older people are still active physically, agile even when nearing the century mark, their lifestyle is such that everybody is productive or must be productive. It is seldom that the elderly have senile dementia.

[Katiemhardy813]

Our society definitely has an ageist perspective, unfortunately. I wish we were able to live more communally so that our elders were able to live in the same houses/neighborhoods as their children, help take care of the house and look after their grandchildren (as appropriate), and shift rolls within our communities rather than getting shafted towards the edges and then pushed out entirely. Not sure it's an achievable dream, but I wish it were possible. We just don't live like that any more.

[kandscreeley]

There are probably many different demographics that you could replace the elderly with. I do definitely think that we discount the elderly in our society. We used to rely more on their wisdom that comes from age, but it seems like we just shove them to the side at least here in America. I know different societies are different.

[VictoriaMcMillen]

I feel like change has happened so quickly in the past decades, with the advent of personal computing and cell phones, that it's easy for our society to leave the elderly in the dust. Choosing the elderly as the minority group of focus in this novel was a good move, in my opinion. It avoids dating the book, and since societal change will likely continue at its current breakneck pace, this ensures it will stay relevant for some time.

Good point about how fast-paced all this technology is and how we are leaving the older generation in the dust. I also agree that using the elderly for the demographic in this book was a solid choice, as it can go across cultures in some way as well as time.