I don't have the answer, but I plan to keep coming back to the question. The sudden demographic collapse of advanced societies is the defining issue of our time.
We're literally telling young people that the world is going to end and they're personally responsible -- OF COURSE they aren't interested in bringing children into this world.
This isn't the fault of the children, it's the fault of the people who are scaring the children to death nonstop for their entire childhoods.
Selfishness plays a huge role. Too many in our age of instant gratification are 100% into themselves and their own "wants" (not needs). Result: Children (and having families) are viewed as burdensome.
Just a wild ass guess, but could it possibly be that the answer is really a cultural shift among women all over the world with respect to when to have their first child? When that date of the first child gets deferred until closer to age 35 than closer to age 25, you get all kinds of intervening factors that make it more difficult for women to become pregnant (e.g., endomitriosis) and more difficult to have large families (because you can only have so many children from age 35 to 45).
Also, could the known divorce rates of first marriages (50%??) be having an impact on women deciding whether it is "safe" to have their first child?
Also, could it be the downfall of devoutness with respect to religion, generally? That is certainly a co-incident cultural phenomenon here in the U.S. and Europe, though, admittedly, this may just be a positive correlation and nothing more.
I've been an acupuncturist/Chinese Medicine practitioner for almost 25 years and I've seen a lot more problems with fertility than when I opened my practice. Some of this is probably people trying to conceive in their 30's and 40s instead of in their teens and 20's. But I also see a lot of hormonal issues even with younger woman and low sperm counts and issues with sperm motility and morphology with men. Purely on the physiology side, I'd guess that endocrine disrupters, EMF's, HPA axis issues, poor nutrition, stress, lack of sleep are all involved - not to mention a recent pharmaceutical product that will go unnamed at the moment :) Fertility clinics are raking in big money right now. One of my clients did 14 IVF cycles before she was able to carry one kid to term. Insurance plans don't always cover fertility services, so this can get expensive very fast. But as far as couples choosing not to have kids, I can hazard a guess from my personal experience. My husband and I met when we were both 21-yrs-old and we are now in our mid-fifties. We do not have children. We both grew up in progressive communities on Long Island and upstate NY and went to an Ivy League school. We have talked about this issue a lot and have both recently realized that we were effectively brainwashed into believing that the most important thing we could do for the environment was to NOT have kids. I was a pretty sensitive kid and I remember feeling horrified at all of the environmental destruction in the 70's and 80's and I firmly believed that we were heading for the point of no return in terms of the earth's carrying capacity for humans. I believed that over-population was the biggest threat facing our species. LOL, of course I can see the fear porn now and it's very obvious to me that my choice was driving by a desire to "do the right thing" for humanity. Sound familiar?? Masks? Jabs? All for the greater good??? Yikes!! The last 3 years have been quite eye-opening...the meme that's been going around lately "You are the carbon they want to reduce" is stunning in its accuracy. And, I'm really not blaming anyone. It was my decision based on what I understood to be true at the time, but now I realize I didn't have access to the whole picture. If I had to do it again, I would definitely have kids!
On our recent flights from Spokane to San Diego, we saw a Caucasian couple with 6 young children, mostly redheads (even more unusual). All well behaved. Gives me hope!
Great topic. I am 35 with two kids under 3. My wife and I, want more. Not sure how many but we do want more. But we are the exception. I would say 40% of my friends at 35 don't have children. Most of them are actually unmarried guys. Crazy that at 35 they aren't close to getting married, they still party like we were 18. And my wife's friends are the same boat. They either have trouble getting pregnant or just want to be fur moms' or wine aunts. It blows my mind that in your mid 30's there is no strong desire to have children. I agree with you, there is something globally going on and it would be great to learn what.
It's relatively straightforward cause and effect. When no one is responsible for their actions - that is, everything is given to them and nothing is earned, the idea of having to be responsible for an action becomes terrifying.
There is MUCH more discussion to be had on the impact of Moral Hazards on our society, but at the simplest level having a child is about the only remaining item that places responsibility on the shoulders of an individual, and people don't know how to handle responsibility any longer so it's inevitable they would run as far from this one as possible...
It is simple...........kids take time, money, love and commitment. That generation would rather spend those things on themselves, that is, if they ever put their phones down.
Recently my wife and I have been blessed with the coming of our 4th child. Though it was a surprise to us and those around us, the ultimate power of the universe/cosmos is in charge. We will have children ranging from 20 to 0, have not changed a diaper in 12 years, but I am excited.
The world is surrounded in negativity from the constant war mongering, to attempts by the elite to supress our populations through mass extermination (COVID), to the mentally unstable individuals who don't know what sex they are, to insane rates of abortion.
Somehow, I feel that it has always been an attack on the nuclear family. and the Lord knows and at 45 years old I am starting fresh. A new human, after many trials and tribulations with 3, and I can only say, it is not too late for anyone to start a family.
Thank you Alex and you are correct; this is a dark cloud over the world one can only hope is lifted as many people find their way back into the light.
Because 1) it’s too damn expensive. 2) there’s this psyopps that says humans are a malignant scourge. 3) fertility is going off a cliff. 4) the bio weapon has made this 20% worse, give or take.
I am an older guy now... but I have 2 sons, and I am surprised at how differently they view the world compared to how I saw things in my early 20's. I was INTERESTED in women, and sex, big time, as were all of my contemporaries. My sons are more interested in video games and memes. I am not saying that they don't have any interest, but, the value I placed on finding a woman to create a home is lost. I think my sons are a little leary of womens motives, and certainly of any promise of fidelity. Feminism, and government have placed masculinity in a jar. The payoff for starting a family is likely losing your capital in a painful divorce, or being tied to child support payments with no meaningful relationship with your offspring. These negative consequences have eclipsed the probability of the American Dream that I grew up with. I don't blame either of them for taking a pass to this point, although I do wish for them to both find a meaningful and lasting relationship that will lead to parenthood.
To parent a child, and do it well, is a life long commitment, requires putting your own interests aside, self sacrifice and looking to cover the needs of your child before yourself. We have collectively raised a self centered entitled generation, that in no way wants to put someone else before themselves. It’s that simple.
What do you know, another "Baffling" phenomenon! Just BAFFLING!
Is there anything more derogatory than the stay at home mom, in current modern society? Do you think it is somehow purely a coincidence?
The plan was launched in the late 60's and has been endlessly promoted for three generations. Its more important to be a taxpayer than a parent. Not an accident, planned and executed.
Well I can assure all adults, your employer's only value is to help raise your children. They, and the government that steals half your income, could care less about you.
You are being manipulated for your labor.
No children means no legacy, no sense of heritage. You're just a little consumer. A perfect entity for the elite.
A related thread: the medical establishment’s love for barrenness, to the point of deliberately deceiving women about the dangers or hormonal birth control. Plus their love of castration and abortion. It’s a true medical war on fertility itself.
I do think there is a spiritual battle at play at least in part. To be fruitful and multiply is our Creator’s first and oft-repeated blessing to mankind in the Bible; the medical establishment seems to be far more pro Moloch….
Ps mark steyn wrote bestselling books about our demographic crisis decades ago and always laughed about how he knew all these world leaders read the books and told him in private that they agreed, but were too afraid to ever bring it up in public
We're literally telling young people that the world is going to end and they're personally responsible -- OF COURSE they aren't interested in bringing children into this world.
This isn't the fault of the children, it's the fault of the people who are scaring the children to death nonstop for their entire childhoods.
They are all children themselves.. they never had to grow up.. so they are terrified of the responsibility of children.
Selfishness plays a huge role. Too many in our age of instant gratification are 100% into themselves and their own "wants" (not needs). Result: Children (and having families) are viewed as burdensome.
Just a wild ass guess, but could it possibly be that the answer is really a cultural shift among women all over the world with respect to when to have their first child? When that date of the first child gets deferred until closer to age 35 than closer to age 25, you get all kinds of intervening factors that make it more difficult for women to become pregnant (e.g., endomitriosis) and more difficult to have large families (because you can only have so many children from age 35 to 45).
Also, could the known divorce rates of first marriages (50%??) be having an impact on women deciding whether it is "safe" to have their first child?
Also, could it be the downfall of devoutness with respect to religion, generally? That is certainly a co-incident cultural phenomenon here in the U.S. and Europe, though, admittedly, this may just be a positive correlation and nothing more.
I've been an acupuncturist/Chinese Medicine practitioner for almost 25 years and I've seen a lot more problems with fertility than when I opened my practice. Some of this is probably people trying to conceive in their 30's and 40s instead of in their teens and 20's. But I also see a lot of hormonal issues even with younger woman and low sperm counts and issues with sperm motility and morphology with men. Purely on the physiology side, I'd guess that endocrine disrupters, EMF's, HPA axis issues, poor nutrition, stress, lack of sleep are all involved - not to mention a recent pharmaceutical product that will go unnamed at the moment :) Fertility clinics are raking in big money right now. One of my clients did 14 IVF cycles before she was able to carry one kid to term. Insurance plans don't always cover fertility services, so this can get expensive very fast. But as far as couples choosing not to have kids, I can hazard a guess from my personal experience. My husband and I met when we were both 21-yrs-old and we are now in our mid-fifties. We do not have children. We both grew up in progressive communities on Long Island and upstate NY and went to an Ivy League school. We have talked about this issue a lot and have both recently realized that we were effectively brainwashed into believing that the most important thing we could do for the environment was to NOT have kids. I was a pretty sensitive kid and I remember feeling horrified at all of the environmental destruction in the 70's and 80's and I firmly believed that we were heading for the point of no return in terms of the earth's carrying capacity for humans. I believed that over-population was the biggest threat facing our species. LOL, of course I can see the fear porn now and it's very obvious to me that my choice was driving by a desire to "do the right thing" for humanity. Sound familiar?? Masks? Jabs? All for the greater good??? Yikes!! The last 3 years have been quite eye-opening...the meme that's been going around lately "You are the carbon they want to reduce" is stunning in its accuracy. And, I'm really not blaming anyone. It was my decision based on what I understood to be true at the time, but now I realize I didn't have access to the whole picture. If I had to do it again, I would definitely have kids!
On our recent flights from Spokane to San Diego, we saw a Caucasian couple with 6 young children, mostly redheads (even more unusual). All well behaved. Gives me hope!
Great topic. I am 35 with two kids under 3. My wife and I, want more. Not sure how many but we do want more. But we are the exception. I would say 40% of my friends at 35 don't have children. Most of them are actually unmarried guys. Crazy that at 35 they aren't close to getting married, they still party like we were 18. And my wife's friends are the same boat. They either have trouble getting pregnant or just want to be fur moms' or wine aunts. It blows my mind that in your mid 30's there is no strong desire to have children. I agree with you, there is something globally going on and it would be great to learn what.
It's relatively straightforward cause and effect. When no one is responsible for their actions - that is, everything is given to them and nothing is earned, the idea of having to be responsible for an action becomes terrifying.
There is MUCH more discussion to be had on the impact of Moral Hazards on our society, but at the simplest level having a child is about the only remaining item that places responsibility on the shoulders of an individual, and people don't know how to handle responsibility any longer so it's inevitable they would run as far from this one as possible...
It is simple...........kids take time, money, love and commitment. That generation would rather spend those things on themselves, that is, if they ever put their phones down.
Recently my wife and I have been blessed with the coming of our 4th child. Though it was a surprise to us and those around us, the ultimate power of the universe/cosmos is in charge. We will have children ranging from 20 to 0, have not changed a diaper in 12 years, but I am excited.
The world is surrounded in negativity from the constant war mongering, to attempts by the elite to supress our populations through mass extermination (COVID), to the mentally unstable individuals who don't know what sex they are, to insane rates of abortion.
Somehow, I feel that it has always been an attack on the nuclear family. and the Lord knows and at 45 years old I am starting fresh. A new human, after many trials and tribulations with 3, and I can only say, it is not too late for anyone to start a family.
Thank you Alex and you are correct; this is a dark cloud over the world one can only hope is lifted as many people find their way back into the light.
Because 1) it’s too damn expensive. 2) there’s this psyopps that says humans are a malignant scourge. 3) fertility is going off a cliff. 4) the bio weapon has made this 20% worse, give or take.
I am an older guy now... but I have 2 sons, and I am surprised at how differently they view the world compared to how I saw things in my early 20's. I was INTERESTED in women, and sex, big time, as were all of my contemporaries. My sons are more interested in video games and memes. I am not saying that they don't have any interest, but, the value I placed on finding a woman to create a home is lost. I think my sons are a little leary of womens motives, and certainly of any promise of fidelity. Feminism, and government have placed masculinity in a jar. The payoff for starting a family is likely losing your capital in a painful divorce, or being tied to child support payments with no meaningful relationship with your offspring. These negative consequences have eclipsed the probability of the American Dream that I grew up with. I don't blame either of them for taking a pass to this point, although I do wish for them to both find a meaningful and lasting relationship that will lead to parenthood.
To parent a child, and do it well, is a life long commitment, requires putting your own interests aside, self sacrifice and looking to cover the needs of your child before yourself. We have collectively raised a self centered entitled generation, that in no way wants to put someone else before themselves. It’s that simple.
What do you know, another "Baffling" phenomenon! Just BAFFLING!
Is there anything more derogatory than the stay at home mom, in current modern society? Do you think it is somehow purely a coincidence?
The plan was launched in the late 60's and has been endlessly promoted for three generations. Its more important to be a taxpayer than a parent. Not an accident, planned and executed.
Well I can assure all adults, your employer's only value is to help raise your children. They, and the government that steals half your income, could care less about you.
You are being manipulated for your labor.
No children means no legacy, no sense of heritage. You're just a little consumer. A perfect entity for the elite.
A related thread: the medical establishment’s love for barrenness, to the point of deliberately deceiving women about the dangers or hormonal birth control. Plus their love of castration and abortion. It’s a true medical war on fertility itself.
More here:
https://thefederalist.com/2023/04/28/prescription-for-parents-vet-your-childs-doctors-they-no-longer-deserve-your-trust/
I do think there is a spiritual battle at play at least in part. To be fruitful and multiply is our Creator’s first and oft-repeated blessing to mankind in the Bible; the medical establishment seems to be far more pro Moloch….
Ps mark steyn wrote bestselling books about our demographic crisis decades ago and always laughed about how he knew all these world leaders read the books and told him in private that they agreed, but were too afraid to ever bring it up in public
We have seven kids and they’re tons of fun. But our lifestyle is definitely unique outside of our friend group. Lol. Do you have kids, Alex?