This Time article explores the profound implications of rising life expectancy and an ageing population, arguing that the traditional three-stage life of education, work and retirement is now obsolete.
With 60 million Americans aged 65 or older and projections that one in five people worldwide will be over 60 or older by 2050, experts are calling for a fundamental redesign of society’s institutions. The article highlights innovative models already emerging, from university-based retirement communities like Arizona State's Mirabella, where seniors take classes and mentor students, to Japan's "window tribe" corporate culture that retains retirees in the workplace. It also examines multigenerational housing initiatives such as One Flushing in New York. Throughout, the article makes the case for reframing older people not as a burden but as untapped sources of talent, experience, and social glue.
