Examining the Global Decline in Birth Rates: Causes and Theories
By
Derek Thompson
Hand-rolled, kettle-boiled, baked to perfection. Worth every minute at the bakery.
Summary
The article explores the global decline in birth rates, examining various theories including the impact of technology/smartphones, a general 21st-century world-weariness (weltschmerz), and a New York Times essay arguing that anxiety about the future is the primary driver preventing people from having children. The piece investigates why this demographic shift is happening simultaneously across virtually all countries.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledWhy has the number of births declined everywhere, all at once?
Some blame technology, particularly smartphones and social media.
Others blame a kind of 21st-century weltschmerz—a sadness about the state of the world and our uncertain future in it.
today's generation is too anxious about the future to make the irreversible commitment of having a child.
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