As women have far fewer babies, the U.S. and the world face unprecedented challenges
Far more families are choosing to have fewer — or no — children. Many countries, including the U.S., now face a rapidly aging population that could begin to shrink.
Oh no, not a better job market, more available housing, and less pollution! What a catastrophy!
Flippancy aside, of course birth rates are declining. Of course constant expansion isn't sustainable. The systemic gluttony of capitalism literally cannot go on forever, and the faster we slow it down the better. It's a cancer on our species and our planet. If we want to continue to exist in any capacity we need to get it under control, and that's going to require reconsidering things like constant market growth and never letting the population fall.
They are two ways for species to reduce their population. They way it happens for everything that cannot control their own birth rates (i.e. everything except us) it a catastrophic death rate increases via disease, predication or hunger. We control our birth rate to have get to a sustainable levels. Seems cruel to go the other way
"Cruel, why would it be any better?" Oligarchs and their misinformed masses.
But thibk about the glass full of water, becausr there was noboty to give it to you!
This article fails to address one of the main causes I see people list for not having kids. It's, "Is it okay for me to bring a kid into a world this fucked up?"
A lot of young people are deeply certain that they're going to have to live through an ecological collapse and climate disasters. Why would they want to have a child, and be constantly faced with the fact that their kid is going to have a worse life than them. That their grandkids may not know what seasons were like?
It's also so ridiculously expensive now. It's not worth it.
I'm 60, I asked myself this at 20 and answered no and had a vasectomy. Not just for any kids but for the biosphere itself, we in the developed world in particular, walk heavily upon this earth.
The destruction is accelerating I guess and is more obvious now but it's been like this my entire procreating life, yiu just had to actually observe.
I thought they mentioned the expense and climate change. They obviously didn't go into depth. I thought it was interesting that its important enough that NPR is bringing it up
I make six figures and can afford (barely) one child.
I’ve got two almost ready for college so I’m getting used to eating cat food and ramen.
You can afford cat food? My cat's high fiber food (needed for gut issues unfortunately) went from $55 CAD before COVID to $130 CAD per bag.
I always wanted children.
I can’t afford one.
We planning on our first and I am unsure if we can afford one. Still trying anyhow and just going to struggle I guess.
If we could frame the "population crisis" as this cost of living crisis and parental support this could be a change.
Same, the most I can afford is a gun to kms when I can't work anymore.
It really feels like the human experiment is coming to a close.