America is heading towards a state of zero population growth (ZPG) where
the number of deaths in the country is equal to the number of births.
Currently, we are very close to this reality according to the U.S.’s population
pyramid, which has a faint hourglass shape (Population Pyramid, 2019). This
aging population brings with it the concern over the stress it will place on the
current healthcare system. This known fact of our population containing a
higher percentage of the elderly each year as well as the strain on the system
that comes with it is not a popular topic for conversation or a focus of our
society. Instead, the majority of the population focuses on youth and beauty.
Could this be from the increasing levels of gerontophobia? Could it be from
the fear of death? Is the mindset of the population focused less on the long-
term and more on short-term satisfaction? All of these factors could be true./
Gerontophobia may be gaining steam and causing people to avoid aging at all
costs (Psych Times n.d.). This fear of aging can be seen with the increase in
plastic surgery and the acceptance of beauty enhancements such as face lifts,
botox, and facial reconstruction (Archer, 2013). Some beauty tricks for anti-
aging have even become trends online, causing the message of the
importance of preventing aging to spread to a wider audience. Even
something as simple as using sunscreen has become a huge push in skincare
as people understand how it prevents wrinkles. This is in large part due to the
technological revolution as older generations cannot keep up with new
technology and trends can sweep across the nation, changing the mindset of
large groups of the population. Our shortening attention span cultivated by
short blog posts and quick videos also may be influencing the reservations of
people to slow down and care for the elderly. Overall, there are many factors
that play into our focus on youth and beauty rather than the aging population.
References
Archer, D. (2013)./Forever Young: America’s Obsession with Never
Growing Old. Retrieved
from/https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/reading-between-the-
headlines/201310/forever-young-americas-obsession-never-growing-old/
Population Pyramid. (2019)./United States of America: 2019./Retrieved
from/https://www.populationpyramid.net/united-states-of-america/2019//
Psych Times. n.d./Gerontophobia (Fear of Old People or of Growing Old).
Retrieved from/https://psychtimes.com/gerontophobia-fear-of-old-people-or-
of-growing-old//
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