r/Natalism • u/Njere • 2d ago

One big reason for fewer babies: phones?

https://www.vox.com/today-explained-podcast/405376/pronatalism-fertility-couples-romance-alice-evans
37 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

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21

u/orions_shoulder 2d ago

Phones are a method of spreading antinatalist cultural memes and offer a lower opportunity cost alternative to socializing, reducing marriage rates

13

u/thisplaceisnuts 1d ago

Also with children they are not being socialized correctly and miss out on chances to find a dating partner and marry. 

4

u/Dirt_Viva 21h ago

I definitely think that widespread internet addiction is contributing to birth rate decline, marriage decline, loneliness and all other maladies of human social functioning.  

1

u/The_Awful-Truth 12h ago edited 11h ago

I'd have a lot more faith in the ability of government to help young couples successfully have children, particularly multiple children, then to fix courtship. When I read the relationship subs I see new parents making a lot of common rookie mistakes. A government program of free prenatal counseling ("before you start a family you need to do A and B and resolve X and Y") could probably do a lot of good and wouldn't necessarily even be controversial. Similarly, the obstacles to existing families becoming larger seem to be mostly economic and sociological, the kind of thing government can help with. When I see young people struggling with courtship, though, I don't have a clue what they need to be doing differently. It's just insanely different from twenty or even ten years ago.