Greener through grey? Boosting sustainable development through a philosophical and social media analysis of ageing

Abstract

Sustainable development is challenged by the exponential growth of the older population, which threatens available resources. In this paper, we question current negative views in the ageing debate by considering the ageing process from a philosophical perspective. By focusing on frailty, a feature that is usually associated with old age, we show that ageing can be the means to highlight the constitutive vulnerable condition of human beings which makes them exposed to others. As a result, we redefine the relationship between the human and the natural world as one of co-constitution and reciprocal sustenance and promotion. We move away from the current approach to sustainable development and we suggest a vision in which the concept of care becomes central. We claim, on the basis of social media behavioral analysis, that the elderly could be involved in care practices of other human beings and especially of nature, contributing actively to sustainable development.