Young people, don’t give in to fear. Have children | Opinion

Apparently becoming a parent can hasten death.

At least, that’s according to a new study that found that fathers tend to have poorer heart health than men without children. Of course, the media made a big deal out of the study, publishing stories with fear-mongering headlines like “Fatherhood May Be Bad for Your Heart” and “Serious Health Threats Dads Are Likely to Face.”

This study and its accompanying article are part of an emerging trend in the news media and on social media where people are repeatedly told to “don’t have kids.” Not having kids is not only bad for the environment, it’s also selfish. Literally causing your death?

We should be focusing on ourselves, not parenting. After all, look at all the happy DINKS, dual income, childfree couples.

The DINK trend took off on TikTok, with couples talking about doing what they want, when they want: They’re financially free, well-rested, and can order Postmates whenever they want.

The media has given DINKs a lot of press, with The Today Show declaring the lifestyle “coming along.” Recently, a video featuring childfree women expressing parental regret for having children has garnered a lot of attention, and Miley Cyrus and other celebrities have publicly stated that they might not want children at all.

The news and social media foster a culture of fear about parenting. Try typing “having kids” into Google. The news results are mostly negative, with headlines like “Decades of Data Suggest Parenting Makes People Unhappy” and “Even if You Love Your Kids, You May Regret Having Them.”

Currently, the majority of Gen Zers (62%) are in no rush to have kids or don’t even want kids at all. They’re choosing pets over kids, and four in 10 don’t think they need to get married and have children.

Young people not only believe they can’t afford to have kids because of student loan debt and inflation, they also believe the world is a scary place and there’s no point in having kids there. As one 20-year-old put it: insider“I’ll be raising my children in a world that is essentially dying.”

The disintegration of American families, communities, and religious practices is already impacting the birth rate, which hit an all-time low in 2022.

However, contrary to what young people are told, the world is not getting worse – in fact, it has become much more peaceful over the past 30 years – and it is not ending anytime soon.

Opposite. The real problem we face is the fact that the replacement rate of the global population is falling around the world. Only six countries have birth rates above replacement level. And no, that’s not a good thing, because overpopulation of the planet is a myth.

It is time to change the way we think about raising children and give hope to our young people. Having children not only contributes to population growth, it is also very satisfying and good for your health. Having children increases your life expectancy. Women who have children have a lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Needless to say, having children is a great opportunity for self-growth. It teaches people to be selfless and makes them kinder, more compassionate people. If parents raise their children in a healthy and loving environment, it has a positive impact on society.

After the birth of a child, parents’ happiness temporarily declines, but this is mainly due to lack of sleep and social isolation. Parents who have family and societal support and policies that help them balance work and family life experience less stress overall.

Young people rightly complain about a lack of support. Governments and employers should do more to encourage people to have children. Workplaces need to offer family-friendly policies, and governments should provide childcare subsidies and more financial support for parents.

And to help young people do their part and make parenting easier, they can go to church or synagogue, join a postpartum group, do babysitting shares, apply for scholarships for their children, etc. There are lots of ways. People have been doing it for ages.

Anything worthwhile or important in life inspires fear. Getting good grades, getting married, chasing your dreams isn’t easy. But we do it anyway. That’s human nature. We always strive for more.

Why should having children be any different?

It’s time for young people to drown out the naysayers and consider having children. I guarantee that having children will be one of the most meaningful, fulfilling, and rewarding things they will experience in their lives.

Kylie Ora Lobell is the President of KOL Digital Marketing, a marketing, PR and ghostwriting company for business owners, nonprofits and celebrity influencers. You can find her at X: @kylieoralobell.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own.