Who's having kids today: the foolish or the smart?
Who has children today? The dilemma between subsidized fools, busy smart people and the economic burden. Two opposite profiles agree that reproducing is a matter of luck.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Do only fools reproduce? The fertility dilemma in times of uncertainty
The conversation about who has children today starts with a provocation: two people from opposite backgrounds —a thirty-something with barely two years of Social Security contributions and an early retiree earning 6,000 euros a month— agree that those who reproduce are the ones being supported, while the smart ones are too busy working. The reflection, reductionist as it is, hides deeper layers about the economic and social pressure faced by those who want to start a family.
The economic factor: stability vs. precarity
The case of the 31-year-old with only two years of contributions illustrates a reality: many young people cannot afford to have children because their job situation is unstable. It is not a question of intelligence, but of context. Meanwhile, the early retiree with paid-off properties represents those who managed to accumulate resources in another era. The generational gap translates into a paradox: those with stability can afford the luxury of being parents, but those without it, no matter how smart they are, see it as a pipe dream.
Ideology and the desire for a family
Another line of thought points out that the decision to have children is mediated by one's worldview. It is mentioned that those who are not absorbed by proge ideology and have always wanted to start a family are the ones who end up having children. But there are also those who point out that many want children and cannot, trapped by a system that complicates everything. The argument slides toward conspiracy: that the elites decided in the 1970s that the population should not reproduce, and that people believe it is an individual choice when in reality it is induced.
Reproduction at the social extremes
An additional analysis points out that reproduction is concentrated at the extremes: the lumpen and people with a lot of money, the latter often forming large families even if with different partners. The middle class, on the other hand, seems trapped between a lack of resources and an overload of demands. Thus, having children ceases to be a free decision and becomes a privilege that only a few can exercise.
What no analysis manages to explain is why, despite the difficulties, there are still people who decide to reproduce. Perhaps the answer lies neither in intelligence nor in ideology, but in the ability to ignore the risk.
Related debates in the forum
The conversation about who has children today starts with a provocation: two people from opposite backgrounds —a thirty-something with barely two years of Social Security contributions and an early retiree earning 6,000 euros a month— agree that those who reproduce are the ones being supported, while the smart ones are too busy working. The reflection, reductionist as it is, hides deeper layers about the economic and social pressure faced by those who want to start a family.
The economic factor: stability vs. precarity
The case of the 31-year-old with only two years of contributions illustrates a reality: many young people cannot afford to have children because their job situation is unstable. It is not a question of intelligence, but of context. Meanwhile, the early retiree with paid-off properties represents those who managed to accumulate resources in another era. The generational gap translates into a paradox: those with stability can afford the luxury of being parents, but those without it, no matter how smart they are, see it as a pipe dream.
Ideology and the desire for a family
Another line of thought points out that the decision to have children is mediated by one's worldview. It is mentioned that those who are not absorbed by proge ideology and have always wanted to start a family are the ones who end up having children. But there are also those who point out that many want children and cannot, trapped by a system that complicates everything. The argument slides toward conspiracy: that the elites decided in the 1970s that the population should not reproduce, and that people believe it is an individual choice when in reality it is induced.
Reproduction at the social extremes
An additional analysis points out that reproduction is concentrated at the extremes: the lumpen and people with a lot of money, the latter often forming large families even if with different partners. The middle class, on the other hand, seems trapped between a lack of resources and an overload of demands. Thus, having children ceases to be a free decision and becomes a privilege that only a few can exercise.
What no analysis manages to explain is why, despite the difficulties, there are still people who decide to reproduce. Perhaps the answer lies neither in intelligence nor in ideology, but in the ability to ignore the risk.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (7 replies).
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