“Why” is a Weak Question
Larger systemic anxieties are at the heart of mine and others fear for having kids.
‘Why are people having fewer babies?’ A question posed more and more in recent years, as though the world population isn’t in the billions.
In a UNC study from the 90s, a number of European countries were observed as they offered direct and indirect financial incentives to having more children. This included paid maternity leave, transportation services and government aid. Last year, around 50% of European residents cited financial burdens as to why they don’t have kids. So, financial support programs have continued.
Now in the United States, there is significantly less financial support, healthcare access, family programs and paid maternity leave. So, is money really all it takes? No.
The global population decline includes the European countries with financial support and the U.S. alike. The problem may partially be money, but the bigger question is fear. Fear of the future. With climate change, war, political turmoil and vast amounts of identity-based inequity, of course 30% of young adults in the U.S. don’t want to have children.
When thinking of some far off future, it feels selfish for me to say I would want to birth a kid. The last few months alone, there has been an increased volume of earthquakes in Los Angeles, and rising speculation of “the big one.” Unprecedented climate disasters have taken thousands of lives, from fires, landslides, tornados and hurricanes across the coasts.
An increase of disinformation in the election cycle and threats of violence amidst the real possibility that election results will not be accepted on November 5 leave the future of our democracy in question. There has been an increase of surveillance in Los Angeles ahead of the Olympics, targeting people of color and homeless communities. On top of this, a genocide has claimed the lives of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza for over a year.
The intention here is not to fearmonger. And I am not the only one with these larger issues weighing on my mind. This is why my blood boils with anxiety at the thought of having children.
It is not just about the money. Younger adults within my age range grew up during the 2008 recession and watched school shootings, natural disasters and a global pandemic continuously being handled poorly by world leaders. It is a depressing resignation to recognize.
As other non-white children in school, there is also a level of racism and generational trauma up for consideration. I remember being stuck in an ELD program and hit when speaking Spanish. It took me 19 years to speak up about my mental illness because these types of conversations were scorned in my community. These are all things I’ve listed as reasons to not have children.
But, I also understand why it would be beautiful to raise a gender neutral, Mexican child with a healthy parental dynamic, too. At the root of this desire is radical hope that these next few generations will reap a better future so many people today are fighting for. It would be a continuation of a long heritage of latinidad and the love and strife of organizers working towards justice and liberation.
Financial incentives may appeal to some in the short term. But, these larger systemic anxieties of the state of the world will continue to weigh in the back of my mind along with others. So, ‘why are people having fewer children?’ is in bad faith ignoring the pandora’s box in the room. To some level it is accusatory towards people who can have kids, pointing fingers and asking them why they’ve contributed to this so-called ‘problem.’
However, the better question is: can governing systems change course for the sake of everyone present and for future generations?
Myriam-Fernanda (they/them/elle) is a producer fellow at KCRW. They graduated from USC in the spring with degrees in Journalism and English-Creative Writing. They focus on community storytelling, podcasting and making accessible content in Spanish. Favorite Author: Virginia Woolf Hidden Talent: I can crash course almost any skill and semi perfect it! I’ve done this with …
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