The declining birth rate isn't a symptom of distraction, it's the rational outcome of capitalism's core contradiction.
Capitalism requires endless growth: more workers, more consumers, more expansion....
I partially agree, but the data doesn’t support the “capitalism ate reproduction” story as the main driver. The sharpest birth rate drops in the last 25 years line up far more closely with the explosion of smartphones, social media, streaming, gaming, & porn than with any sudden spike in costs.
Young people aren’t “doing the math” on housing… they’re glued to endless digital dopamine hits that crowd out the realworld relationships, sex, dating, and the desire to build a family.
Screen time has replaced bonding & sex. That’s the core reason Millennials & GenZ are having less sex & fewer babies than any prior generation at the same age.
Costs have always been high relative to income in different eras; what’s new is the digital distraction machine that optimized for addiction over our real lives.
Young people aren’t “doing the math” on housing… they’re glued to endless digital dopamine hits that crowd out the realworld relationships, sex, dating, and the desire to build a family.
Screen time has replaced bonding & sex. That’s the core reason Millennials & GenZ are having less sex & fewer babies than any prior generation at the same age.
Costs have always been high relative to income in different eras; what’s new is the digital distraction machine that optimized for addiction over our real lives.
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