The Fertility Crisis is About High Standards \ stacker news ~alter

The Fertility Crisis is About High Standards

1346 sats \ 21 comments \ @zuspotirko 17 Sep alter_native

Ok so obviously fertility rates declined sharply around 2009-2010. Some say it’s the recession but I doubt it. It’s the phones, and not in the “people are too busy scrolling to have sex” way. Read on.

Phones (specifically social media) give everyone an inflated idea of what a good quality of life is

Part of this are our standards for partners. People (yes, both men and women) are arguably more selective than ever

https://www.cartoonshateher.com/p/the-fertility-crisis-is-about-high (source)

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160 sats \ 3 replies \ @Murch 17 Sep

Have you considered that the lack of affordable housing might be a factor?

116 sats \ 0 replies \ @zuspotirko OP 17 Sep

Considered yes. But came to the conclusion that it's not the reason because fertility is negatively correlated with wealth and income. The poors have more trouble affording housing but simultaneously have more kids.

21 sats \ 1 reply \ @doubleplusgood23 17 Sep

I'm sure importing more immigrants will help the housing shortage!

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bell_curve 18 Sep

Exactly

Like Springfield Ohio

103 sats \ 0 replies \ @oliverweiss 17 Sep

The chart is a bit misleading as it suggests that the rate was actually trending upward until 2000 something, then social media came… I’m not a sociologist, but I would say it’s a bit more complicated. It seems that the “resistance was broken” though.

34 sats \ 2 replies \ @Fabs 17 Sep

Aaand just when i'm into the flow, a paywall dooms up, awesome...

She's certainly hitting some points (from what I'm allowed to read), but it's also that - taking The Netherlands as an example - there are simply no houses or apartments for starters, and life has gotten extra-expensive, thanks to inflation having taken the fast-lane again.

How are you planning on starting a family, when there's simply nowhere to reasonably go?

You wanna start your life as a parent with a house that isn't yours and a debt of ~€700.000?! Hell no. Fuck no, even.

It's absurd, absolutely absurd and honestly? All frickin' alarms should be ringing- the ones about people's expectations etc cetera included!

I'm kinda sad that this is the situation these days / last decade, but I'm also kinda excited to see what this shit show will turn into, but that's the misanthrope in me. 🙂

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @oliverweiss 18 Sep

You wanna start your life as a parent with a house that isn't yours and a debt of ~€700.000? Hell no.

I assume that renting an apartment is not an option for you?

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Fabs 18 Sep

No. Competition is cut-throat, asking prices beyond serviceable.

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @nitter 17 Sep bot

https://xcancel.com/CartoonsHateHer/status/1835832142972043630

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DesertDave 17 Sep

There are many factors for sure. And phones play a big roll I think. I think there is an agenda to stop people from procreating and keep us depressed always wanting more.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Akg10s33 17 Sep

Yes, I also agree that social networks are rubbish!! They change the perspective of life of young people and put consumerism in their brains!! And an empty idea that it is better to be alone without a partner... without children... and that's it!! And obviously it affects the birth rate... people in Europe who don't want to have children but if they have 3 🐶... I have nothing against puppies!! But that doesn't make sense!!!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @thinkbig 17 Sep

It all boils down to the fact that we are in a consumer society, where it is preferable to be with a cell phone than to socialize with people.

0 sats \ 8 replies \ @Bell_curve 17 Sep

Most women in the west want to have one child maybe 2. Many have decided to have zero.

They cannot have it all. Career or children but not both

0 sats \ 7 replies \ @oliverweiss 17 Sep

Many have decided to have zero.

Many just can’t have any. I think I remember something like one of six women suffers from infertility or some disease of reproductive system. Not sure it was worldwide or in high income countries.

17 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bell_curve 18 Sep

That’s a shockingly high number

That’s a lot of bad luck or genes

17 sats \ 5 replies \ @Signal312 17 Sep

I'll bet a lot of that is a result of our high carb, high processed food diet, and the resulting obesity.

21 sats \ 4 replies \ @Fabs 18 Sep

Processed food is one thing, but carbs being the baddie?

Carbs are pure energy to the body, I eat pretty much only carbs and manage to have a few abs pop out, it's about what you're doing with the energy you put into the machine.

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @mo 18 Sep

Correct, if you don't use the energy, the body store it as fat

21 sats \ 2 replies \ @Signal312 18 Sep

A high carb diet is linked with poor health (truly linked, with decent science and not shoddy epidemiological studies).

Check out this link The USDA is ignoring the massive science on the benefits of low-carb diets

21 sats \ 1 reply \ @Fabs 18 Sep

If you're active, you'll need carbs to fuel you.

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @Signal312 18 Sep

There's a lot of carnivore athletes out there that would disagree with you.

If you're curious about this, you may want to listen to some interviews with Dr. Tim Noakes. He's the originator of the whole "carb loading" concept, which introduced the idea that you needed to eat a lot of carbs before and during anything athletic.

He has since completely renounced that idea (after developing diabetes himself) and I just listened to an interview with him. Very interesting, especially how he was persecuted after renouncing the previous pro-carb ideas.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-plant-free-md-with-dr-anthony-chaffee/id1614546790