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Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

washingtonpost.com

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Re: Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

#11

Post by striking »

rustynails wrote: post #6
bko wrote: post #3

Despite teenagers having mobile unrestricted access to all sorts of supposedly corrupting media available to them at all times, they still make rational decisions regarding their bodies. This is very encouraging to all those that value freedom.

This theory doesn't make sense (and I read three articles that repeat what you say). If you use contraception, you won't have pregnancy. So why are the rates down? Health? Then why are 25% of kids obese (I looked up those figures). I can only assume that technology has created more social isolation.

You're conflating obesity with teen birth... why exactly?

You're saying technology didn't spread the idea of having less sex; I don't even think the commenter you're responding to claimed as much, merely that for all the chatter about sex and violence on TV and video games and other media, teens are still doing a good job at not making stupid choices. Which is contrary to what many people believe today.

I don't think technology has very much to do with it, more the idea that if you're born into a household with five other starving kids, you're less likely to repeat what your parents did.

And, absolutely not. Tinder is legitimately causing hookups that probably wouldn't have otherwise happened so easily, just as an easy example.

Re: Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

#12

Post by vox_mollis »

koolba wrote: post #7

> But the second cause is something that goes against the conventional wisdom. It's that teens -- despite their portrayal in popular TV and movies as uninhibited and acting only on hormones -- are having less sex . Could rising childhood obesity be contributing to this as well?

Plausible. The recent advent of ready, instant, and varied access to video simulation of sex is also plausible.

Both are unpopular hypotheses, however, because all bodies are beautiful and sex positive porn has zero externalities.

Re: Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

#13

Post by Nadya »

vox_mollis wrote: post #12
koolba wrote: post #7

> But the second cause is something that goes against the conventional wisdom. It's that teens -- despite their portrayal in popular TV and movies as uninhibited and acting only on hormones -- are having less sex . Could rising childhood obesity be contributing to this as well?

Plausible. The recent advent of ready, instant, and varied access to video simulation of sex is also plausible. Both are unpopular hypotheses, however, because all bodies are beautiful and sex positive porn has zero externalities.

>The recent advent of ready, instant, and varied access to video simulation of sex is also plausible.

Not to mention easier to purchase/discreet shipping of sex products/toys.

Re: Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

#14

Post by CydeWeys »

oldmanjay wrote: post #10
rustynails wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This theory doesn't make sense (and I read three articles that repeat what you say). If you use contraception, you won't have pregnancy. So why are the rates down? Health? Then why are 25% of kids obese (I looked up those figures). I can only assume that technology has created more social isolation.

Are you putting forth the hypothesis that teens are fucking less? Do you have anything beyond assumption?

They are. The linked article says so and discusses it.

Re: Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

#15

Post by icanhackit »

rustynails wrote: post #6
bko wrote: post #3

Despite teenagers having mobile unrestricted access to all sorts of supposedly corrupting media available to them at all times, they still make rational decisions regarding their bodies. This is very encouraging to all those that value freedom.

This theory doesn't make sense (and I read three articles that repeat what you say). If you use contraception, you won't have pregnancy. So why are the rates down? Health? Then why are 25% of kids obese (I looked up those figures). I can only assume that technology has created more social isolation.

> I can only assume that technology has created more social isolation

I can only speak anecdotally but from observations it has increased social interaction for those who seek it - as social networking makes the process easier - while reduced it for those who don't seek it or want to take the path of least resistance. Technology merely accelerates individual desire. SJ's old chestnut: computers are like bicycles for the mind - well you could say the internet like is a bicycle for desire.

We know that as the standards of living (reduced mortality, longer lifespans, education etc) improve, the number of children produced decreases. That's one considerable factor.

With regards to Hispanics and Blacks in particular, as someone who grew up in a relatively poor household I quickly grasped how much my parents resented what having children did to their social mobility. They couldn't afford childcare, so only one parent could work. Despite having only a single income until we were teens, they could still afford a good-sized home relatively close to the city. Try doing that on two middle-of-the-road incomes today - not impossible but not easy, and very difficult with kids. The reality is that children have an anchor effect on the lower-middle to lower classes, while barely any affect on the upper middle to upper classes. Teens from poor households are probably well aware of the struggle ahead if they wish to have children.

Re: Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

#16

Post by andreasklinger »

Aelinsaar wrote: post #5

"The first is the most important and may be obvious: Today's teens enjoy better access to contraception and more convenient contraception than their predecessors, and more of them are taking advantage of innovations like long-acting injectable and implantable methods that can last years over a daily birth control pill. But the second cause is something that goes against the conventional wisdom. It's that teens -- des…

You could also argument that it has been fixed by "constant fighting"

But society's pov, politicians or simply all teens haven't catched up yet

Re: Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

#17

Post by seizethecheese »

Aelinsaar wrote: post #5

"The first is the most important and may be obvious: Today's teens enjoy better access to contraception and more convenient contraception than their predecessors, and more of them are taking advantage of innovations like long-acting injectable and implantable methods that can last years over a daily birth control pill. But the second cause is something that goes against the conventional wisdom. It's that teens -- des…

This runs counter to the belief that many have that when given higher access to contraceptives, teens will have more sex. Another knock against abstinence-only sex ed!

Re: Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

#20

Post by orky56 »

gozur88 wrote: post #18

I wonder how big a role obesity plays in all of this. It may be that teens are having less sex because so many of them have effectively taken themselves out of the sexual marketplace.

Are you referring to obesity in terms of attractiveness or ability to conceive?
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