In many countries today insufficient respect is shown to older people. What do you think may be the reason for this? What problems might this cause in society?

Unfortunately, nowadays elderly people are not treated with proper respect. There are definite reasons for that, which I am going to consider.

It is true that families do not consist of 3 to 4 generations, as before. One of the main reasons is that thousands of men left the countryside in search of better work opportunities, greater entertainment and more comfortable life. Consequently, family bonds were split.
So, children were not taught to communicate with their grandparents, honour them and show their compassion, because they did not spend much time with them. Moreover, their parents were busy with other things and did not pay attention to these issues. Mobile phones and the Internet were not available either, hence the phone calls were limited as well.

Needless to remind, that” generation gap” has always existed between parents and children. It is also true that older people are often seen as boring and old-fashioned in teenagers’ eyes. They like to recall old times and life that has changed completely in the past decades, but they do need to share their memories. Not a single novel can describe their memories in full. They were the witnesses of the most meaningful landmarks in history: the victory over fascism, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union. They have a great experience of life and a deep wisdom, which have to be treasured. No matter how young we are today, we all are going to be in their place sooner or later.

Overall, people in their 70s and 80s are not treated fairly by the society. They dedicated their lives to their country and families, consequently they should not be a burden. They all deserve a better attitude. If we forget about war veterans and other categories of elderly citizens, we will betray our predecessors and lose our roots.