Dean Fried’s TEDx Talk Speaks to Unrealized “Superpowers” of an Aging Society

“What if I told you that you have been gifted 30 extra years of life that previous generations never had?” So begins a presentation on healthy aging and longevity by Dean Linda P. Fried, given as part of a TEDxBoston event titled Unlocking Longevity.

Too often, however, demographic aging—added life years largely made possible through public health gains—is misunderstood as a burden, Dean Fried argues in her presentation. What if instead society harnessed aging as a “superpower” to address major challenges like climate change, loneliness, mental illness, and infectious disease outbreaks? (Watch a newly available video below.)

“Many have framed this demographic shift as a looming disaster a ‘silver tsunami’ that will overwhelm and undermine younger generations but here’s the truth: our longer lives are one of humanity’s greatest achievements,” Fried says.

Despite evidence to their contrary, harmful myths around aging persist, whether it’s the myth that older people are all in poor health with poor cognitive skills, the myth that prevention of disease doesn't work in older people, the myth that populations are an inevitable drain of social systems and economies or the myth that older people are “greedy geezers” who are all take and no give.

“These myths prevent us from seeing the opportunity of older populations and our older age science and research now show us those opportunities first that the right conditions can enable health in longer lives and into older stages,” she says.

The truth is that older people, who become more generous as they age and often develop a greater desire to give back, can meaningfully contribute based on the experience they have accrued over a lifetime—including elevated capabilities to solve complex problems and even end conflicts. But harnessing the unique strengths of older people isn‘t as easy as flipping a switch. 

Society must invest in opportunities to harness these unique capabilities, Fried argues. Examples include initiatives to foster intergenerational interaction in urban design, housing policy, as well as through successful programs like Experience Corps, created by Dean Fried, which pairs old and young for their mutual benefit.

Dean Fried says: “Imagine how the superpowers of a growing older population could be harnessed for generativity to come together to tackle climate change, the mental health crisis, loneliness, the next pandemic, or heat emergencies, or to assure young people's successful futures.”