Why Are Birthrates Down? Two New Studies Point to Phones.
3d 2h ago by feddit.uk/u/Wudi in mildlyinteresting from www.nytimes.com
Yeah that's the problem, not climate change, 20% of young people being left behind by the economy, spending 30% of salaries on housing if they are lucky, medical costs, general cost of living.
Oo lucky enough to have a kid? Get ready to pay $500/w for daycare, cost for a birth $20,000, school o sorry they all good defunded so get ready to play for private school.
But yeah let's blame phones and not anything related to the obvious systemic issues so we can preserve the status quo.
The study is interesting. It uses a fun natural experiment to validate the hypothesis. At no point do the authors blame changing social mores for the entire decrease in birthrates, but they do say it accounts for a small, but statistically significant proportion.
You aren't wrong, but, as the authors point out, phones have dramatically changed how we interact.
Only 30 percent on housing? Where is housing that affordable?
Theres a good discussion panel on this...I'll have to find the video. Its more than one factor obviously. But phones play a role because things like dating apps don't try to help you find your true matched partner, they want it to fail so you keep coming back looking for another partner... Etc. Social media is engineered to keep you engaged on the platform, rather than finding joy with a partner and leaving social media behind to go do fun stuff together.. Which leads to less interest or less stable situation for making a family...besides the ridiculous housing costs and wage theft
This and Linkin are as close as I get social media and I've never been interested in nor have I availed myself of any of the dating apps. So I will openly admit a level of ignorance when it comes to the negative effects of phones. And I'm well aware of the dark patterns and engagement tactics used by mainstream social media and dating apps. So I can understand that they have an impact on people forming new and romantic relationships. I just see the structural and systemic issues as being far greater than just sitting on your cell phone swiping left.
Do I wish people would get off the phone and start talking to the people around them. Yes, but that in itself is not going to change our society and how we support our younger and new generations.
Lots of phone bans across the world lately, so maybe we will see a generational change for the youth being age restricted now.
Don't forget crashing fertility numbers...
And nobody admitting it's caused by Covid.
🙄🥱🥴🤡
Happy cake day 🍰
Thanks!
Poor people don't have children?
Not often by choice
They don't choose to, but they're choosing not to now because they can't afford it?
How have kid if no partner? How have partner if no third spaces? How have third spaces if no money? Etc etc
The fact that our "healthcare plan" options consist mostly of overpriced scams and bankruptcy could be a factor.
Why are birth rates down? Common sense points to 1) Nobody can afford a life with dignity 2) evil pedophiles beholden to no laws and support genocide, commodification of everything and the total destruction of earth run everything 3) population decrease is a good thing for a sustainable future