❍ From a psychosocial perspective, aging is the transformation of a person after the age of physical maturity has been reached, such that, the chances of their survival decreases, i.e., they grow old. As people grow older, they undergo drastic changes, the most obvious of which is their outer appearance. Along with this, due to the decline of their biological system, they also lose considerable body strength and dexterity. Their behavior changes according to the different things and situations that they experience. This is accompanied by a change in the way they think and perceive the world around them. With progressing age, their social roles also undergo a dramatic shift, from being an independent adult, to having a family, and finally becoming a senior citizen. It is in the context of such social roles that the activity theory is based. This theory is also called the implicit theory, normal theory, lay theory, or the move-to-live theory. Since it is a psycho social theory, it stresses on the effects of psychological and social interactions between individuals. It was conceived by American gerontologist Robert J. Havighurst, in 1961. ❍ In general, it is often seen that as a person's age progresses, he/she tends to disengage himself/herself from social commitments, drifting towards solitude as he/she realizes the impending nature of his/her demise. Since the role of any adult is to raise a family and provide for it, senior citizens, after retirement, face a conflict, since they have already filled this role, and have moved beyond it to a juncture where they do not possess any definite role to fulfill. This further contributes to their disengagement and self-inflicted separation from society. ❍ With respect to this phenomenon, Havighurst proposed the activity theory of aging, which emphasizes the importance of maintaining social activities. The theory suggests that a person's self-identity is heavily dependent on the social roles played by the person and the social groups that the person interacts with. Hence, the more social an individual is, the better his/her sense of self, which in turn boosts self-esteem and the level of satisfaction with life. In cases where certain roles and groups are lost, they can be replaced by new roles and groups. But engaging in activities for the sake of interaction is not recommended. One should be doing things and interacting with people that bring happiness and enjoyment, whereas engaging in activities and interactions that are not enjoyable not only do not help, but are actually psychologically detrimental. ❍ For example,

• Senior citizens who miss being parents can enroll themselves in charity organizations that offer aid to the youth.
• Those with an artistic bend can take up sketching, painting, pottery, etc.
• If they miss being an office worker, they could volunteer at the town hall.
• They can also take up new hobbies, go traveling, etc. The possibilities are endless.