What living longer means for younger generations
Shifts in life expectancy are reshaping careers, family planning, and financial needs for younger people
Shifts in life expectancy are reshaping careers, family planning, and financial needs for younger people
Shifts in life expectancy are reshaping careers, family planning, and financial needs for younger people
Life expectancy has significantly increased over the past century, and experts say today鈥檚 younger generations will experience unprecedented changes in how they live their lives as a result.
Michael Clinton, the founder of ROAR Forward, highlighted how life expectancy has risen from 62 years a century ago to around 80 today, with projections showing over 20 million centenarians by 2100. ROAR Forward is a business intelligence platform with Hearst Ventures, a part of our parent company, Hearst.
This longevity shift means younger generations will have longer careers.
"Today's 11-year-old is going to have a 60-year career," says Clinton. "They're going to have to work longer to fund a 90-to-100-year life. They might have different careers, but it's a very, very different second half of life that we're now looking at."
The trend is also reshaping family planning. Women in the U.S. are having fewer children and starting families later in life, with childbirth in their 30s and 40s becoming more common.
"We call it the social movement of our lives, because it affects everyone," says Clinton. "The first Millennials turn 50 in five years, so they're going to be in this; that's a huge generation, and they're going to rethink what that all means."
Experts suggest preparing for a longer life by staying active, eating nutritious meals, getting enough sleep, and engaging in lifelong learning to keep both body and mind healthy.