Rethinking Aging and Senior Employment

By 2050, there will be over two billion people over the age of 60, with 80% of them living in low and middle-income countries. The common belief that senior citizens should not work creates challenges for developing countries. Without the opportunity to work, individuals may neglect investing in their skills and health. They might face a lack of savings, leading to feelings of hopelessness and purposelessness. To address this, senior employment technologies can be developed to reduce physical and cognitive barriers for seniors. Examples include exoskeleton technologies to enhance physical abilities and remote working technologies to eliminate physical presence requirements. Additionally, cognitive augmentation technologies can assist with memory and cognitive tasks. By democratizing senior employment through these technologies, the negative effects of population aging can be transformed into positive aging, where individuals in developing countries can invest in themselves and find fulfillment through work.