A Special Report on Ageing Populations Critique - Essay Example

The elderly population will have to be taken care of by the dwindling younger population. This crisis will peak around 2050.

The purpose of this article was to inform and influence. The information was given by statistics and facts. However, the statistics were projected. The problem with projected facts is the unknown. A nuclear war might occur next year and everyone could die. The article wanted to influence the reader with colorful wording and examples. The statistics were current about today’s older and younger populations. Thus the article is informational and influential.  

The attitude or emotion type of this writer was concerned. This article would fit in the Economist.com (where it came from), a pro-life leaflet, or even a book on why the world needs to have more children. It was factual, but emotional as well. It gave the feeling that the older generation is a burden. In essence, the older generation is a problem that needs to be solved. The danger is when the younger generation solves that problem, when they grow old their younger generation will solve the problem.

This article uses statistics to prove their points, but also uses opinions as well. For example, this article thinks in the future fewer workers will mean more job openings. The economy will falter due to fewer workers. That is an opinion. With the advancements in technology, fewer workers might be needed. The total effects of the aging generation on political, social, and economic areas are speculation and opinion since the author cannot predict the future accurately. The evidence this article uses is statistics on older generations. Birth rates in different countries, developing and richer ones, were given. Life span data was given. Opinions about this data were given. The conclusion was the abundant aging population was going to burden the younger generations. The full effect will be felt in 2050. This as mentioned before is opinion due to the unreliability of the future. Current trends can predict the future reliably, but more data needs to be conducted to complete a prediction for forty years from now.

The figurative language is profuse in this article. “Larger”, “bigger”, “swelling”, “good”, “bad”, “tight lid”, “heavy handed”, and “huge headache” are sprinkled throughout this article. These hyperboles are meant to be persuasive. Instead of just stating the facts, this article tries to influence the reader to the fact the aging population is a problem that needs to be dealt with. The hyperboles made the article less credible.

The core paragraph is paragraph two. This paragraph relates the subject; the growing aging population and the shrinking younger population. The UN reports about the ratio between pensioners and workers in 2050 are in the paragraph. Both poorer and richer countries were mentioned. This paragraph relates to the whole article. If it stood alone, the message would still be given.

This article is kind of frightening. For either the younger or older generations the prospect of more elderly than young is scary. The younger generation will have to carry the burden and financial responsibility of the massive aging population. The older population might not be able to be properly taken care of. The thought of little or no pensions, higher healthcare costs, and a later retirement date make the elderly uneasy. The younger generation will have to take care of their parents, plus other elderly family members. This article promotes that having children is cheaper than taking care of the old. Pro-life groups, religious groups, and any group that advocates multiple children would be interested in this article.