The developed world is bearing witness to a 21st century miracle – the real possibility of living well to the age of 100 and beyond. Compelling scientific evidence indicates that living long and living well is most realistic for those who adopt healthy behaviors, are financially secure, and are socially engaged.
THE SIGHTLINES PROJECT investigates how well Americans are doing in each of these three areas over historical time. We assessed the number of Americans who are meeting expert recommendations for healthy living, financial security, and social engagement. These results are intended to stir national debate, guide policy development, stimulate entrepreneurial innovation, and encourage personal choices that enhance independent, 100-year lives.
FEATURED
Sightlines Special Report on Social Engagement
Social engagement and connectedness have profound implications for well-being, including a sense of security, self-esteem, physical, mental, and cognitive health, and overall life satisfaction. Research has shown that feeling socially isolated is as great a risk factor for premature death as smoking a half a pack of cigarettes every day. In this report, we review social relationship patterns over the lifespan, discuss how interrupters like social media have influenced the way we connect and highlight the importance of social connectedness on physical and mental health. For researchers interested in this topic, we provide a toolbox of various analytical techniques that have been newly developed in modeling and testing social engagement. In later chapters, we zoom in to examine how important life events such as retirement and widowhood affect people’s social relationships and connecting behaviors.
