Arrr, aye mateys! A battle brews o'er havin' wee ones, as society bein' in dire need o' a new generation to endure.
2023-12-23
Avast, me hearties! A scribe from the Washington Post be claimin' that our existence be dependin' on wee scallywags, sayin' a mighty clash o' opinions be brewin' on whether landlubbers should be bringin' forth offspring. Yo ho ho, what a tale!
A new "culture war" has emerged as more couples choose not to have children, with one columnist claiming that society needs kids to survive. This trend has been popularized by the term "DINK," which stands for "dual income, no kids." These couples cite lifestyle preferences, personal freedom, and financial savings as their reasons for remaining childless.In a recent column, Washington Post contributor Ramesh Ponnuru suggested that the rise of the "DINK" trend may be a response to "aggression" from advocates of childbearing. However, he argued that bragging about extra leisure time will only reinforce the perception of selfishness. Ponnuru contended that these child-free individuals may feel pressure to prove that their lives are meaningful.
A scientific study from 2022 found that childfree adults make up over one-fifth of the population and that people with children are having fewer of them than in the past. Ponnuru viewed these trends as indicative of a new "culture war" and predicted potential conflicts between Democrats and Republicans over the choice of childbearing.
Ponnuru believed that these disputes could be avoided by recognizing that not everyone is called to parenthood. He also emphasized that society needs future workers, taxpayers, and soldiers, even though people do not have children solely for these reasons.
Furthermore, Ponnuru argued that it may be beneficial for young adults to face "soft societal pressure" from parents to have kids of their own. He referenced a 2022 General Social Survey that found married men and women with kids to be the happiest subset of their respective sexes.
Ponnuru concluded by advising child-free individuals not to believe that they are single-handedly solving climate change, especially if they engage in environmentally harmful behaviors like excessive air travel. He assured them that having children does not mean giving up travel entirely, just that their itineraries might change.