TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan is moving toward a super-aged society, with a growing proportion of older citizens. This demographic shift is accompanied by changes in how seniors choose to spend their time, adapting to the changing times.
"After retirement, people say that you can start to take care of grandchildren, but now, the plans are completely different. I have too many things I want to do and too many places I want to visit," said Chang Wei-wei.
Retirement marks the beginning of a new phase for many individuals, who now have more time to pursue their interests. With longer life expectancies and improved health, this generation is taking advantage of the opportunity to explore new passions.
"Grandparents are only a backup force, where they can occasionally help. For instance, when they go abroad, they (grandchildren) can stay at our home for a few days, and we also feel delighted," Chang added.
Data from the United Nations shows that global life expectancy has increased from 51 years in 1960 to 72 years currently. The number of grandparents worldwide has also grown from 500 million in 1960 to an estimated 1.5 billion today.
Predictions indicate that by 2030, a majority (70%) of 8-year-olds in the U.S. will have living great-grandparents, a trend also expected in Taiwan.
"There are a lot of young grandparents nowadays, and they are all in excellent shape. Our generation has seen progress in medicine and has been in touch with more varied ideologies," said Wu Chun-cheng, chairman of the Srong Generation Association.
"The further enrichment of all aspects of life has made people, in fact, very lively at the age of 60," he added. With increased vitality, Grandparents seek to achieve their personal aspirations and lead a life that aligns with their own preferences.
"It becomes a debate on values, a traditional family concept or the modern concept of social welfare seen in many western societies, and a pull back and forth," said Liu Wei-gong, an associate professor at the Department of Sociology, Soochow University.
"It is a structural problem, and it needs the government to address these structural problems, to provide some more innovative concepts and ideas, and only through this way can better solutions be reached when it comes to structural problems," added Liu.
Countries with more comprehensive social welfare systems, including childcare benefits and state-funded nursery fees, like Sweden, are references Taiwan can look to.
Their structure allows double-income families and grandparents more personal time and freedom, resulting in a mutually beneficial outcome.
