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I think people aren’t having babies because there’s too much interesting stuff to do, and the world has never been as accessible as it is today. Technology has

I think people aren’t having babies because there’s too much interesting stuff to do, and the world has never been as accessible as it is today. Technology has made nearly every corner of the globe accessible for prices that would seem magical a generation ago. As far as our ancestors are concerned, we may as well have invented teleportation. Then entertainment, wow, the entertainment that’s available at the push of a button. Every song, every tv show, every movie, right in your own apartment! Massively multiplayer games, message boards, Wikipedia; the sum of human knowledge in your pocket. And you can create stuff, and share it with millions of people without even leaving your chair. Code, music, art, whatever — make it this morning, 100k views by lunch. There is SO MUCH to do, to make, to share, to learn — our world has gotten so so big just in the last generation that I think I’d be surprised if the birth rate didnt go down. There are just too many other things vying for our finite attention.

Noumenon72 9y ago
I absolutely agree with you and still think it is totally irrational to have kids and cut into your fun -- however, you may be interested in [this comment thread](slatestarcodex.com/2018/01/16/bundles-of-joy/) where many of these crazy kid-having people explain their point of view. It's worth noting that whatever unsatisfactory explanations they manage to convince themselves of, have greater genetic fitness than the ones that convince us. It's very frustrating that even though wrong, they are guaranteed to prevail through natural selection.
- piaste 9y ago
  > It's very frustrating that even though wrong, they are guaranteed to prevail through natural selection. I think you're contradicting yourself here. If you believe it matters whose lineage wins at natural selection, then those parents are in fact right and you are wrong. If you believe that it doesn't matter, or that it matters less than having your childless fun, then you shouldn't find it frustrating that their genes will win an unimportant game.

Noumenon72 9y ago

I absolutely agree with you and still think it is totally irrational to have kids and cut into your fun -- however, you may be interested in [this comment thread](slatestarcodex.com/2018/01/16/bundles-of-joy/) where many of these crazy kid-having people explain their point of view. It's worth noting that whatever unsatisfactory explanations they manage to convince themselves of, have greater genetic fitness than the ones that convince us. It's very frustrating that even though wrong, they are guaranteed to prevail through natural selection.

piaste 9y ago
> It's very frustrating that even though wrong, they are guaranteed to prevail through natural selection. I think you're contradicting yourself here. If you believe it matters whose lineage wins at natural selection, then those parents are in fact right and you are wrong. If you believe that it doesn't matter, or that it matters less than having your childless fun, then you shouldn't find it frustrating that their genes will win an unimportant game.