Microblog Memes

The presence of outliers doesn't really change the general point.

Plus, from my pov at least, the choice to have kids isn't one that's actually 'made' until there's the realistic opportunity to have kids based on your socio-economic background and expectations -- obviously, not withstanding "happy accidents" etc. So if someone is educated / normalised in a north american / western democratic upbringing, with an expectation that you should be able to provide a basic quality of life for kids before having them, and readily available birth control to allow couples to dictate when it happens, then you first need to reach a point of financial freedom before you can make a 'real' choice on the subject. That typically comes down to a highly stable middle-class income/life style, which few achieve, and fewer achieve at young ages where historically the 'choice' to have kids gets declared.

To use myself as an example to elaborate: when I was young, I didn't have stability in my employment/income, though I did have one or two partners during that time who would've likely been willing to have kids if we had financial security (those two being women who were unemployed/hoping to be stay at home moms, which doesn't really 'work' unless the guy makes serious money -- need that dual income if you're just a middle class earner -- my lack of a high enough income to provide a middle class lifestyle for a group of dependents was the reason for one of those breakups even). Later on in life, now that I have more financial security, the women I've typically dated aren't interested in having kids -- most have established careers that they don't want to interrupt, or are divorcees who already have kids. I'm not someone comfortable/capable of dating much outside my age range, so as I near the age it becomes unsafe for women to have kids, that windows basically closes. As a guy, I don't feel like I've ever actually made a "choice" on the subject, as I've never been in a position where I could choose yes or no. Anyone who claims to be making a 'choice' based on gaps/deficiencies in their situation at that time, I'd argue, aren't making a choice purely on their desire to have kids or not.

Point of that schpiel in part being that, while I recognise outliers exist (and don't skew the initial general statement), I'd also wager that a number of people identifying as "choosing not to have kids", may be making that call not based on their desire to have children/a next generation, but rather on their personal circumstances excluding them from having that choice. It's a lot like someone saying "I choose not to buy a $10 million car".... you ain't really making a choice, unless you have $10 million sitting around that you could use on a luxury purchase.

I also think that as people in that category age, they tend to become more cynical towards sustainability and more inclined towards personal comforts. It's easier to say "I'm eco conscious!" as a 25-30 year old, who's still got time to 'make a choice' on kids, and bike to work/forgo a car etc -- than it is to be a 60 year old, where there's no choice left to make on kids, with arthritis, still tryin to avoid the car and instead use transit to cut emissions for commuting to work / getting groceries etc.