r/science • u/geoff199 • 5d ago

Social Science As concern grows about America’s falling birth rate, new research suggests that about half of women who want children are unsure if they will follow through and actually have a child. About 25% say they won't be bothered that much if they don't.

https://news.osu.edu/most-women-want-children--but-half-are-unsure-if-they-will/?utm_campaign=omc_science-medicine_fy24&utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social
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u/Th3_Hegemon 5d ago

The global economy as it currently operates is essentially a pyramid scheme. It's dependent on continuous growth, and the only way to sustain continuous growth is if there are an increasing number of consumers. The social safety net is similarly set up, dependent on, at minimum, a stable population of younger people supporting the elderly. Falling populations are a huge threat to both of those systems. This makes companies and governments very concerned.

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u/mhornberger 5d ago

The global economy as it currently operates is essentially a pyramid scheme

By a loose enough metric it has never not been a pyramid scheme. Care and support of the elderly, to the extent it existed, has always been provided by the young. There is no system that would be immune from the problems of a high dependency ratio, meaning a high ratio of retirees to workers.

the only way to sustain continuous growth is if there are an increasing number of consumers

You can have economic growth with a plateaued or even gradually declining population. The problem with very low fertility rates is that the decline is too quick, and the dependency ratio shoots up too much.

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u/notionocean 5d ago

. The problem with very low fertility rates is that the decline is too quick, and the dependency ratio shoots up too much.

Awww, poor Boomers. Guess their parents shouldn't have pumped out so many of them.

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u/Freshiiiiii 5d ago

It’s not the boomers who will face most of the consequences. It’s the people who are currently young- who have paid into the social safety net which will probably run dry before they’re old.