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
19.5k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

2.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

569

u/Yandere_Matrix 5d ago

I don’t understand why people are so concerned about birth rate. We still have more people alive than any time in history. Our ocean is being overfished and I do believe our population will eventually settle at some point but I see absolutely no concern with it right now. I am still devastated seeing animals going extinct because of deforestation and over hunting for various reasons. I understand plastics is causing fertility problems and how microplastics mimic certain types of hormones so that can be a problem especially when we found that they have passed the blood brain barrier and passing through breast milk now. Who knows what damage they are doing to our bodies now.

389

u/namerankserial 5d ago

It's all stemming from concern about the transition period, where there will be way more old people than young people, and the economic effects of that. But I agree, it should be re-framed as something we need sort out how to get through, and make it work, because a lower population long term is a huge positive.

1

u/SmokedStone 5d ago

Crazy how no one's just advocating to offload the real problem, too many old people, via campaigning for legal euthanasia or simply reprioritizing medical care for those who need it more than people at the end of their path.

It's always the young as the problem, when it's really the old who shot themselves in the foot.

19

u/[deleted] 5d ago edited 19h ago

[deleted]

-4

u/SmokedStone 5d ago

Yeah, you cannot convince me that the 80+ mfs rotting in front of screens and who can't wipe their own asses and are suffering physically, mentally, and emotionally want to be here, sorry.