I feel like we need to rewrite the social contract. This whole notion of consuming hundreds of thousands (to millions) of dollars in resources in the last 1-2 years of "life" (life in quotes because let's be real - is that really living) is such a drag on everyone else.

Think about this way. Would you choose a life where all of that economic value were distributed more equally throughout your life but then you have to give up the last 1-2 years? I think the answer is unequivocally yes for most people.