The year 2030. A quarter of all Americans are over 65 years old. The United States has turned into a third world country under the rule of a dictator. Children born after the year 2030, known as "the lost generation," cannot expect to receive enough education and work opportunities to allow them to advance beyond their parents' standard of living.
This is the future that Johns Hopkins University scientists forecasted in a recently published study. The researchers compared the expected demographic changes in the U.S. over time with studies of human fertility patterns and economic growth rates, to create an "age-structured model" that can predict the state of the country in 2030.
The researchers found that the "youngest generations entering adulthood will be poorer than their parents at comparable points in the cycle." In other words, a "lost generation" is coming. The United States could also see an unprecedented population of seniors. The oldest among us will be a major challenge for the country.
The implications of this study are staggering. With the United States at the forefront of manufacturing technology, production lines will soon be forced to slow down. With fewer workers being called upon to assist with daily tasks, what will this mean for the overall economy? More importantly, what do these findings foreshadow for the average citizen who finds him or herself to be a member of the "lost generation?" Will the country continue to be ruled by a dictator who seeks only
his own interests, or will there finally be a revolution?
