Attitudes toward life extension: Men indicated a higher level of willingness to use the life extension treatment; younger-old and older-old adults indicated that they would prefer to live permanently at an older age

Who wants to live forever? Age cohort differences in attitudes toward life extension. Michael D. Barnett, Jessica H. Helphrey. Journal of Aging Studies, Volume 57, June 2021, 100931. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2021.100931

Highlights

• Investigated attitudes toward life extension about young adults, younger-old adults, and older-old adults.

• Age cohorts did not vary in their willingness to use life extension; however, in all three age cohorts, a plurality indicated that they would not use it.

• Men indicated a higher level of willingness to use the life extension treatment than women.

• Younger-old and older-old adults indicated that they would prefer to live permanently at an older age than young adults.

Abstract

Introduction: Biomedical technology holds the promise of extending human life spans; however, little research has explored attitudes toward life extension.

Methods: This survey asked young adults (n = 593), younger-old adults (n = 272), and older-old adults (n = 46) whether they would take a hypothetical life extension treatment as well as the youngest and oldest age at which they would wish to live forever.

Results: Age cohorts did not vary in their willingness to use life extension; however, in all three age cohorts, a plurality indicated that they would not use it. Men indicated a higher level of willingness to use the life extension treatment than women. Younger-old and older-old adults indicated that they would prefer to live permanently at an older age than younger adults.

Discussion: If a life extension treatment were to become available that effectively stopped aging, young adults may be likely to use such a treatment to avoid reaching the ages at which older cohorts say they would prefer to live forever.

Keywords: Aging attitudesTechnologyImmortality