Last month I hiked through the Swiss mountains, paraglided into Davos, snuck through security, then gave a talk on the macroeconomic, social and political implications of falling fertility.
My take is that our society is fundamentally hostile to children. Parents want to spend time with their kids and see them grow up in supportive and flourishing community. That our society cannot provide this is, I suspect, the main reason for the declining number of children.
I don’t see it that way. AI is a little soul crushing, but people are generally pursuing it for the benefit of people. Even if the only people benefitting is themselves.
Also the US spends about $1 trillion on education every year. Just as a measure of how much we spend on humans.
I dont disagree, but I was thinking of other things. For example, that we will invest one trillion dollars (at least) to create even more powerful AI. Isnt that an indication that we value machines more than humans? Children are just not efficient.
I do wish people would try harder to imagine how we can make parenting easier. (And childbirth for that matter less risky and more straight forward) How do we organize groups of parents or community member who can help offload some of the burdens of parenthood? If this occurred and there was more equity at home would people be more inclined?
Perhaps we need to reintroduce society to boarding schools?
So delighted and impressed to see you presenting your wonderful work at Davos.
My take is that our society is fundamentally hostile to children. Parents want to spend time with their kids and see them grow up in supportive and flourishing community. That our society cannot provide this is, I suspect, the main reason for the declining number of children.
💯
I don’t see it that way. AI is a little soul crushing, but people are generally pursuing it for the benefit of people. Even if the only people benefitting is themselves.
Also the US spends about $1 trillion on education every year. Just as a measure of how much we spend on humans.
Its hostile in the sense that it is more individualistic, adolescence is longer, and people are pursuing other things.
I dont disagree, but I was thinking of other things. For example, that we will invest one trillion dollars (at least) to create even more powerful AI. Isnt that an indication that we value machines more than humans? Children are just not efficient.
Is it possible to have the video on YouTube as well
I would be interested to hear your take on https://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/jep.20251462
I do wish people would try harder to imagine how we can make parenting easier. (And childbirth for that matter less risky and more straight forward) How do we organize groups of parents or community member who can help offload some of the burdens of parenthood? If this occurred and there was more equity at home would people be more inclined?
Perhaps we need to reintroduce society to boarding schools?
Your lectures/interviews are fun to watch.
Fertiliy is going down. Maybe Mother Earth is trying to tell us something?
Bad link.... the 'lessons from Hong Kong' link goes to the 'collective action' paper.
Now corrected: https://www.ggd.world/p/why-has-fertility-plummeted-insights
Thank you!