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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/1154153
Devices – Mobile devices of all sizes are constantly on, constantly available to people today to stay in touch with each other and the world around them. Older Isn't Slower – Patent offices around the globe are quick to note that most patents are issued to people who are 46 years of age and beyond. It takes time to garner all that expertise. Unfortunately, we tend to assume that creativity wanes with age and individuals become rigid in their thinking as well as their approaches to challenges, issues. Back in 2007, at Stanford, Zuck said, "Young people are smarter," implying that middle- aged people were bogged down with stale ideas and older folks couldn't make the imagination leaps required or even get out of their own way. Of course, when Zuck heard that Dr. John Goodenough of the University of Texas at Austin, recently received a co-patent for a new type of battery at 94, he thought he might have been "a little overcomplimentary" regarding youth. It turns out, most inventors peak in their late 40s and are most productive in the last half of their careers. In the U.S., the highest value patents tend to come from folks over the age of 55. As Dr. Goodenough said, "I'm old enough to know you can't close your mind to new ideas. You have to draw on a fair amount of experience in order to be able to put ideas together." But as companies and investors hunt for new ideas, new opportunities, new growth and new employees, they often rely on Zuck's youth myths. However, if Uber had hired senior people with more street smarts and experience, they might not have encountered so many bumps in the road. Economists often say that an aging population will hamper growth because of a smaller labor force. Pew Research reported that Baby Boomers have always had an outsized presence in the U.S. and peaked at 78.8 million in 1999. In addition, 10,000 people across the country will reach the age of 65 every single day-- despite the fact that Boomers don't believe old age begins until 72. Pew researchers found that the average Boomer felt nine years younger than their chronological age. At the same time, researchers at Harvard noted that retirements deprive companies of critical experience and knowledge which impacts productivity across the board. They note that with a wider breadth of talent in the workforce, firms have access to a broader array of skills, knowledge and experience with each enriching collaboration, focus, added insights and expertise. Commenting on the importance of having a strong, mixed- generation workforce, analysts at Catalyst noted that: - Millennials are the European Union's minority population and the working-age population is expected to continue to decline until 2050, meaning boomers will be vital to the area's economic growth. - More than 26 percent of Japan's population is 65 or older and by 2060, nearly 40 percent of Japan's population is projected to be 65 or older, which will result in a significant loss of experience and expertise. - In Canada 18.7 percent of those employed in Canada are just 55 or older and Canada has an aging population due