The Super Age

Decoding Our Demographic Destiny

By: Bradley Schurman

Narrated by: Brian Holsopple

A demographic futurist explains the coming Super Age—when there will be more people older than sixty-five than those under the age of eighteen—and explores what it could mean for our collective future.

Societies all over the world are getting older, the result of the fact that we are living longer and having fewer children. At some point in the near future, much of the developed world will have at least twenty percent of their national populations over the age of sixty-five. Bradley Schurman calls this the Super Age. Today, Italy, Japan, and Germany have already reached the Super Age, and another ten countries will have gone over the tipping point in 2021. Thirty-five countries will be part of this club by the end of the decade. This seismic shift in the world population can portend a period of tremendous growth—or leave swaths of us behind.

Schurman explains how changing demographics will affect government and business and touch all of our lives. Fewer people working and paying income taxes, due to outdated employment and retirement practices, could mean less money feeding popular programs such as Social Security and Medicare—with greater numbers relying on them. The forced retirement or redundancy of older workers could impact business by creating a shortage of workers, which would likely drive wages up and result in inflation. Corporations, too, must rethink marketing strategies—older consumers are already purchasing the majority of new cars, and they are a growing and vitally important market for health technologies and housing. Architects and designers must re-create homes and communities that are more inclusive of people of all ages and abilities.

If we aren’t prepared for the changes to come, Schurman warns, we face economic stagnation, increased isolation of at-risk populations, and accelerated decline of rural communities. Instead, we can plan now to harness the benefits of the Super Age: extended and healthier lives, more generational cooperation at work and home, and new markets and products to explore. The choice is ours to make.

©2022 Bradley Schurman (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

More socio less economic view on aging.

This audiobook is a nice overview on the current issues revolving aging. It covers a variety of issues, and as a pleasant surprise the author offers several suggestions on changes to be made in light of the demographic shift that is currently ongoing.

What I would have liked:

More of an overview of the economic side of aging, as well as an emphasis on how we got here (how/why social security/401k's/pensions were started) and what specifically the future looks like if no changes are to be made. Ultimately, that's the issue, right? Our economic system was designed for only a small percentage of the population being retired.

More numbers and statistics. The author often cites that a company will be better if they just included a more diverse workforce. Okay, that is intuitive and sounds nice, but what are you basing this on? Does productivity improve 40% in this scenario? It just seems heavy and opine and light on evidence. I don't doubt that there is evidence, but where is it? This would be especially helpful with the author's many suggestions and examples of improvements to be made. Why should a company or organization make changes based on someone's opinion? Business runs on numbers.

More expert consultations. For example, the author once makes a point by referencing the ostensible golden company Peloton, citing it's 2020 stock rise as evidence that it will continue to rise and change the world. Peloton had a PE ratio of 1,000+. No one seriously involved in the stock market would consider that sustainable. The stock eventually did implode, anyway (and more than a year before this audiobook was released and also before the paperback release...so where was the editing on that?). My point is the author is reaching quite frequently to make his point, and in this way, it reads more like a conversation with a friend at a bar than a research paper.

Ultimately, while I think this book is a solid compilation of the current issues regarding aging, it lacks in specific evidence and expertise. At a minimum, an economist should have been consulted in this work, rather than the author relying solely on themselves, whose credentials I can't seem to find; he is a self-proclaimed expert on the topic. There very well could be more to his references (and I'm going to assume there are since he's actively involved in the research), he just doesn't cite them.

Fascinating! Educational! Actionable!

I was so drawn into this book! It provides fascinating context for the modern history of demographics and unpacks the implications of the dramatic shift that is happening right before our eyes. The author’s breadth of knowledge plus use of relevant cultural examples keep the material fresh and easy to read. But what is most compelling are Schurman’s insightful - and refreshingly hopeful ideas of what later life can look like if the aging population is given the nuanced economic and social attention it deserves.