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Want to make the world a better place? Have a child.

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4 weeks ago

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The seeming indifference of many to below-replacement fertility rates sweeping across nations may stem from a disproportionate emphasis on practical matters that fail to stir the soul.

Clay Routledge
 |  Opinion contributor

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During the pandemic, I came across a haunting series of photos depicting empty spaces around the world that normally bustle with life − streets, airports, subway stations, cafes, museums. Looking at these images had a strange, existentially unsettling effect on me.

When we see pictures of natural landscapes like forests, mountains and oceans, it doesn’t disturb us if they are unpopulated with humans. In fact, many of us seek out sparsely inhabited places when we want to spend time in nature. Yet, when confronted with the sight of unpopulated spaces engineered to nurture the activities that keep civilization moving forward, the stark absence of humans served as a sobering reminder that the true purpose of our constructed world lies not in the impressive structures themselves, but in the people who bring them to life.

Are our discussions about the escalating fertility crisis failing to truly resonate with people because we aren’t adequately emphasizing the profound existential ramifications of a nation and world with fewer children? Indeed, a recent Newsweek poll found that a minority of Americans are very concerned (16%) or even somewhat concerned (21%) about the falling birth rate.

Understandably, conversations concerning the consequences of plummeting birth rates tend to focus on economic and policy challenges. As our population ages, we will face labor shortages, increased strain on social safety net programs, decreased economic growth and other challenges that result from a smaller working-age population struggling to support a larger elderly population.

These issues are important, but so are the more philosophical ones − the concerns that are less about material considerations and more about the psychology of human flourishing. When we look around our communities and see fewer and fewer children, we should feel a growing sense of existential unease.

The seeming indifference of many to below-replacement fertility rates sweeping across nations may stem from a disproportionate emphasis on practical matters that fail to stir the soul. Some don’t see how the problem has relevance in their own lives. Others are counting on technology to be our salvation, with automation, robots and artificial intelligence filling in to support our aging population.

Parenting styles: My 8-year-old daughter got her first sleepover invite. There’s no way she’s going.

Declining birth rates will lead to hard times ahead

Some recognize that there will be difficult times ahead but point out that our species is resilient, innovative and industrious, meaning that we are likely to adapt. Some environmental and social activists are actually quite happy about the situation and even advocate for anti-natalism as part of their de-growth agenda.

What all of these perspectives focused on material issues fail to illuminate is that for the vast majority of humans, other people (and especially their family members) are the existential resource that makes them resilient, innovative and industrious and that motivates them to want to solve big challenges and advance human progress so that future generations can enjoy a better life than we do today. 

Am I a good parent? Are you a better parent than your mom or dad? My son’s question sent me into a spiral.

Meaning in life is a self-regulatory and motivational resource, and Americans are more likely to identify family as a source of meaning in their lives than any other factor, including their careers or other personal goals and accomplishments.

Moreover, studies find that parents report higher levels of meaning in their daily lives than childless adults, and they report the highest levels of meaning when they are engaged in activities that involve their children.

Family helps provide meaning in life

In my research on the psychology of nostalgia, I have collected thousands of personal narratives from people regarding the memories they find most meaningful, and family is a central theme of these reflections.

Of course, individuals can live meaningful and successful lives without having children. There are many ways to achieve social significance by making contributions to the world through entrepreneurship, science, art, education, mentorship, leadership, service and philanthropy. But for most people, family is a critical ingredient of meaning.

If we want more people to care about the problem of declining fertility and be motivated to address the complex personal, cultural, economic and policy factors that might be discouraging family formation, we must emphasize the profoundly human part of the story. We need to talk about the fact that we are an existential species powered by meaning.

Fewer humans mean less meaning, and less meaning means a diminished humanity.

Clay Routledge is vice president of research and director of the Human Flourishing Lab at the Archbridge Institute.

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