This is probably mostly covid related. But I personally don’t even consider kids. Kids are a life long commitment. I’d only make that commitment if I felt long term stability or at least optimism. Austerity and cynicism dominate the US right now though. It’s a recipe for strife, struggle, and things that rip families and countries apart. It doesn’t have to be this way in the US.
We Expect 300k Fewer Births Than Usual This Year in the US
41–50 of 461 posts
Re: We Expect 300k Fewer Births Than Usual This Year in the US
#42I wonder if there's a good way to model the cost of children over the last 100 years? My guess is fewer people are having children due to the financial costs rising considerably.
Yes, I agree with you.
People are overall better off because of technological improvement, but making a living is harder (wages didn't grow with prices, modern life has more costs attached to it).
Also families are much more unstable nowadays, with divorces being common. Children growing up in stable families do better in several parameters, therefore instability has a ripple effect on society.
Re: We Expect 300k Fewer Births Than Usual This Year in the US
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
> should be treated as a reason to not make assumptions about others That's what checking ones privilege is. I'm in a position where my financial security, mental well-being, and future prospects would make it a good time for me to start a family if that was what I wanted. Same goes for many of my friends and colleagues, who have in many cases done exactly that I think this article shows that this security does not e…
But my point is that such a misunderstanding of other people is not a symptom of privilege, its a symptom of being human. You probably don't know how billionaires as a class (and generalising people by a demographic is overgeneralising too) are experiencing covid either, but that isn't a question of privilege. I guess I just don't like the idea of taking a universal human experience and casting it in terms of privile…
I agree that this type of misunderstanding is something every human experiences. Those assumptions will however impact my decisions - who I vote for, what charity I donate to, how I approach other people in life, etc
My current situation is very safe and secure, so if I'm not aware that this is a privilege that is only enjoyed by a small subset of the population, my assumptions could lead me to making decisions that negatively impact a disproportionately large part of the population who do not share that privilege
I want to leave things better than I found them and to me this a helpful tool for doing that. Other people have different goals and different tools, and that's great as well
Re: We Expect 300k Fewer Births Than Usual This Year in the US
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
It is very hard to understand why your comment was downvoted this badly. I thought everyone understands that the planet is overpopulated as it is and that bringing as many children into the world as possible is not a net positive.
My impression is that most people who talk about overpopulation are basing it on old trends before population growth rates dropped off so much.
It is a fact that we're currently using a large number of resources much faster than they replenish. That seems like a good criterion for calling the planet overpopulated.
One can of course argue that sufficient technology can curb our resource consumption without reducing the number of humans, but I find it a bit odd to use hypothetical technology deployment as an argument against the planet being beyond its sustainable carrying capacity today.
Re: We Expect 300k Fewer Births Than Usual This Year in the US
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
I highly recommend David Attenborough's 2020 Netflix documentary "A Life on Our Planet." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Attenborough:_A_Life_on_ ... https://www.netflix.com/title/80216393 It is his "witness statement" on how he has personally observed enormous environmental damage over his ~70 year career documenting wildlife throughout the world. He argues that the solution is to reduce our population growth wo…
It's really odd to me. 200 years ago, the population was about one billion. Now it approaches eight billion. If the trend really is lower over the next 100 years and it drops... don't we think it would eventually reverse again? Why do we want the population to be stable or always growing? Why would it be bad for it to be going down for a while?
It would not reverse if woman have universal access to contraceptives and are empowered and educated. It’s a one way ratchet.
https://ourworldindata.org/fertility-rate#what-explains-the-...
Re: We Expect 300k Fewer Births Than Usual This Year in the US
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
I highly recommend David Attenborough's 2020 Netflix documentary "A Life on Our Planet." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Attenborough:_A_Life_on_ ... https://www.netflix.com/title/80216393 It is his "witness statement" on how he has personally observed enormous environmental damage over his ~70 year career documenting wildlife throughout the world. He argues that the solution is to reduce our population growth wo…
It's really odd to me. 200 years ago, the population was about one billion. Now it approaches eight billion. If the trend really is lower over the next 100 years and it drops... don't we think it would eventually reverse again? Why do we want the population to be stable or always growing? Why would it be bad for it to be going down for a while?
Many parts of our economy assume perpetual growth. The easiest way to ensure growth is to increase the number of humans. Look at countries with shrinking birth rates for a glimpse of the problems an aging population can cause.
Re: We Expect 300k Fewer Births Than Usual This Year in the US
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Couples are spending a lot of time together [...], so I'd expected that to result in more baby making But a counteracting force is that some couples think 9 months ahead and are afraid of delivering their baby in a COVID-overloaded hospital. COVID makes the opportunities for conception easier but adds to the stress and uncertainties of delivery and postnatal care. (So maybe more sex activity but also more contra cep…
The uncertainty isn't just the COVID overload, but also no doulas/support people, and not knowing if the father is even going to be allowed in the building in case something unusual happens.
My wife and I had our first son at the end of 2019, right before the outbreak. We’ve heard from friends that women are delivering wearing a mask now.
My wife thinks that she wouldn’t be able to do that and that she would pass out. The level of breathing required to deliver a baby is intense.
She has basically threatened the livelihood of my genitalia if I impregnate her during the pandemic. She’s kidding, right? ;)
Re: We Expect 300k Fewer Births Than Usual This Year in the US
#48Earlier quoted context omitted.
I highly recommend David Attenborough's 2020 Netflix documentary "A Life on Our Planet." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Attenborough:_A_Life_on_ ... https://www.netflix.com/title/80216393 It is his "witness statement" on how he has personally observed enormous environmental damage over his ~70 year career documenting wildlife throughout the world. He argues that the solution is to reduce our population growth wo…
on the other hand our planet has seen 5 mass extinction events. at the same time, 56 millions years ago the planet was extremely hot: https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-qa/whats-hotte... and, to top it off, all we're doing is prolonging the inevitable warming of the planet. things aren't so clear as that documentary makes it unfortunately.
There were no humans 56 millions years ago. I'd like the planet to remain in a state that is good for humans for at least a few more millennia.
Re: We Expect 300k Fewer Births Than Usual This Year in the US
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
It is very hard to understand why your comment was downvoted this badly. I thought everyone understands that the planet is overpopulated as it is and that bringing as many children into the world as possible is not a net positive.
it's not overpopulated. this is a myth that has been going on since the 1970s: https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2017/12/12/16766872/overpop...
700 million people in the world face food scarcity at any one time. The world is overpopulated and its resources strained by the existing 7.4 billion humans (CO2 budget, natural resources reserves, etc).
Re: We Expect 300k Fewer Births Than Usual This Year in the US
#50I'm surprised by this, as I had expected the opposite. Couples are spending a lot of time together being confined to their home without much entertainment, so I'd expected that to result in more baby making I guess the stress from the uncertainty of the future and lack of personal space more than countered that Time for me to adjust my assumptions about the world... And probably check my privilege, since I'm massivel…
Actually how does one actually do that 'check your privilege'? Is it like a checklist for takeoff:'privilege on? check!'
After entering the premises, you make your way to the checkroom, hand over the items you're not supposed to wear inside, and proceed to the venue proper.