Puzzlement

May you live in interesting times -- Ancient curse
The times, they are a-changin' -- Bob Dylan

News items:

   Big Data offers more information to Big Brother.
   An aging society makes monetary policy less effective.
   Older people are staying on the job longer in a weak economy as their retirement funds lose value.
   As seniors keep working, fewer slots are available to young folks, so unemployment is low among seniors and high among the young.

   Almost everything we do -- text messages, email, phone calls, and especially Internet searches and the purchases we make online -- are tracked, compiled and monitored by data collection and analysis operations that recommend to vendors who the most likely buyers are so ads can be targeted. The others -- communications of various kinds -- keep the super duper snooper scoopers apprised of what we're doing and who we're talking to.
   At the same time, as people get older, they get more careful about spending and saving money. So on one hand, Big Data helps vendors sell to young folks who use more types of e-communication. But as an aging population gets more careful about money, that can affect central bank monetary policy, making it less effective.
   News reports have described the widespread use -- and abuse -- of data collection and use, as well as its benefits and dangers. And a study released by the International Monetary Fund describes in detail how changes in monetary policy, including efforts to control inflation and reboot the economy, fail to bring enough leverage to bring about beneficial results.
   The working paper focuses on the U.S., Canada, Japan, the UK and Germany "to confirm a weakening of monetary policy effectiveness over time," especially on unemployment and inflation. Want the full copy? Here's a link: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.aspx?sk=40916.0 

   Result: The economy is weak, older folks work longer and ignore policy pushes, young people are out of work so they can't afford to buy the stuff advertised on their devices, and Big Brother has more information with less use-value.