2018-07-07: Task 2 (Nigeria; Saudi Arabia; Austria)
In some countries, the age difference between parents and children is greater than in the past.
Do you think the advantages outweighs the disadvantages?

In contemporary world, the widening gap between the age of parents and their offspring has become a common feature. While I accept that this phenomenon can bring certain disadvantages, I believe that they are definitely outweighed by advantages.

The main drawback of the increasing distinction in age is the generation gap which will absolutely result in several serious consequences. Due to diffreneces in lifestyle caused by age, parents may find it difficult to penetrate into their children’s lives and offer them with emotional supports which are fundamental for their cognitive and mental development. For example, if children can sense a devoid of sympathy and encouragement from parents because of age difference, they will show a propensity for disintegrating themselves from their parents. Therefore, undeniably, age can extend the existing gap between parents and children, hindering their efforts to gain a mutual understanding. In addition, the difference in age can potentially pose threats to the balance of population. As adults have a tendency to start a family later in their life, this issue can lead to a reduction in birth rate while the number of senior citizens continue to increase. For example, in Japan, that couples show less interest in giving birth has not only resulted in age gap but increasingly aging population as well, putting more pressure on labour market.

Despite some shortcomings mentioned above, I believe that there are far more benefits. Firstly, embarking on parenthood later means that parents have spent more time focusing on their careers, making better financial preparations for their offspring. For instance, if young people devote more time to moving up career ladder, they will find it easier to lead a stable life and have the means to cater for their children’s demands with the highest quality. Secondly, parents at higher age are bound to have distilled myriad experiences from reality, resulting in their giving more thorough and mature advice for their children. This will definitely make children feel more prepared to enter adult life and avoid from turning to crime.

In conclusion, while the difference in age between parents and children can have certain demerits, I woould argue that the merits it brings to parental involvement are more justifiable.