Humans live longer! Now what?
Longer lives
It's no surprise that the average lifespan of a human has been increasing in recent decades. That said, what are the main problems with increasing Earth's population?
Inequality
First off, it exaggerates inequality between poor and rich people.
Even though everyone is, on average, living longer, which is objectively good, richer people are seeing bigger benefits from more modern medicine and life-increasing tech. This can increase already existing tensions between groups with a large wealth gap.
Chronic diseases
Because more people reach elderhood, incurable and permanent diseases get a lot more prevalent in the population, like cancer and memory-related illnesses.
This means more money spent on treatments and social care, which, if spent on people who don't work anymore, can have a negative economic return, despite arguably being essential to give those who have worked in the past a worthy life (or end-of-life).
What about overpopulation?
Overpopulation was a concern when the Earth's population was increasing exponentially, in the 20th century (source), but in recent years, the growth rate has started to go down, leading to what we see in other animals' populations: A logistical curve, flat, huge spike, and then flat at a new equilibrium.
The Big Benefit
After exploring the main drawbacks of an increased lifespan, there is an obvious benefit that should be pointed out:
Longer, healthier lives mean more years in which we are able to work and contribute to society!
Conclusion
Well, it's obviously great that humans live longer! But everything is a tradeoff, and even the most amazing or despicable
action or person has an upside AND a downside, and you should always be aware of both!
Thanks for reading! Remember to Upvote and Share, so that I can keep making many posts per week!
Take a look at my last post, about Universal Health Care!
20% of the payout will go towards @ph-fund!
