Global Aging and Other Demographic Trends Within Cybernetic Production Principle

The chapter analyzes global aging and other important demographic processes, current and future demographic transformations in the twenty-first century, and their correlation with the technological changes that will occur as a result of the Cybernetic Revolution and further trends. Dramatic changes are to be expected in connection with future demographic transformations. They create a powerful impulse that will lead to a qualitative reformatting of the entire social structure and social relations. Based on this analysis, Grinin et al. make forecasts about the new type of population reproduction (TPR) that will characterize the World System by the end of the twenty-first century. Among the main demographic processes, the authors put particular emphasis on the process of global aging. However, even now the global aging is an extremely important issue and, they suppose, it will become the most crucial problem in the future. The chapter analyzes various socio-political risks associated with aging. These risks and problems are of particular concern given that by the mid-twenty-first century two-thirds of people over the age of 65 will live in middle- and low-income countries. Despite this, the ability of modern society to cope with the increasing risks associated with this process is problematic.