SMU Dean of Students and Professor of Sociology (Practice) Paulin Straughan said that while the trend of smaller families and more individuals choosing to remain single is a global phenomenon, it might not be a bad thing if action is taken to prepare for and mitigate the possible effects. "We should start thinking seriously about retirement communities, so that people can age gracefully even if they might not have adult children or family to support them," added Prof Straughan.