With an increasingly growing number of people opting out of childbearing, heated debates around the childfree lifestyle have bounced back into the headlines of late. One side still finds it hard to wrap their heads around this matter, and the other greets it with a round of applause. And while many young adults consciously turn down the prospect of parenthood by choice, others feel like having children in today’s world is almost impossible.

Well, with the political turmoil, the looming cost-of-living crisis, hardly affordable housing, and accelerating inflation, it’s easy to see why. And a recent post on the popular ‘AntiWork’ community illustrates this perfectly. Redditor Substantial_Rush_675, a 32-year-old man, reached out to fellow members and asked them if anyone else feels terrified about having kids in today’s economy.

After he listed his main concerns and fears, ranging from financial to personal ones, people jumped at the chance to share their opinions and stories from their own experiences. Scroll down to read the story in full, as well as the reactions from the community. Then be sure to decide where you land on the topic, and share your thoughts with us in the comments!

This man recently opened up about the reasons why he feels terrified to have children

Image credits: Damir Kopezhanov (not the actual photo)

His story struck a chord with many people and ignited a heated debate about the idea of bringing kids into today’s economic climate

Image credits: Marisa Howenstine (not the actual photo)

Later on, the user added an update and clarified a few details about the situation

Image credits: Substantial_Rush_675

Redditor Substantial_Rush_675 told Bored Panda that the inspiration for this ‘AntiWork’ post came after he noticed many of his family and friends discussing the idea of having children in the present economic climate. “I have noticed that antinatalism has been on the rise in the U.S. as a whole, and I wanted to see if there was any correlation between the future outlook of the economy, work culture, and having families. These are fears of mine, and I hoped to see if others agreed as well,” the user added.

From the deluge of comments the post has received on the platform, it’s clear that many people did. “I was honestly shocked that it reached this point — I did not expect such a huge turnout. I think the fact that it blew up to this level proves to me that people are aligned with the same ideology about work culture and children,” Substantial_Rush_675 told us.

Many commenters agreed that having kids is expensive, the economy is uncertain, and the future is scary and completely unpredictable. People expressed their concerns and provided a fair share of reasons driving these thoughts: “Inflation and savings were a big thing for people commenting in the post (healthcare costs, daycare costs, etc.) and the future of the planet as far as climate change is concerned. These were the main reasons for people to postpone or all-out walk away from having children.”

Unfortunately, children are a luxury many simply cannot afford. If reading this leaves you feeling petrified of raising a little human in this turbulent world, you’re definitely not the only one. There’s an abundance of research proving that younger generations have fewer kids than ever. The World Economic Forum stated that fertility rates have steadily decreased worldwide for the last 70 years, with a total 50% decline.

Some of the most noteworthy reasons people have fewer children include women’s empowerment, particularly in education and the workforce, lower child mortality rates, and the increased cost of raising children.

The challenge of bringing children into this world magnifies when it comes to financial stability, which is all the more difficult to achieve. According to Pew Research Center, 44% of Americans think it will take them three years or more to get back to where they were before the pandemic, and one in 10 non-retired respondents say their finances may never recover. Coupled with soaring inflation, shattered home ownership dreams, and political and social unrest, it’s easy to feel discouraged.

“I think society as a whole, particularly in the U.S, have become fed up with the way work culture has been,” the Redditor continued. “What I noticed was that many people agreed that children would tie them down to a job or company and it would be harder to leave if the healthcare benefits are locked in or the boss is not a decent person, among many reasons.”

“The freedom to walk away from a job today is huge! And the pandemic plays a huge role in that too, in my opinion. It showed us that plenty of jobs can be done from home, and that life shouldn’t just be about work,” the user added.

As an astonishing number of people share the Redditor’s concerns, it’s important to create safe spaces where people can debate over matters they find important. “The internet is a great tool to discuss concerns and issues in our lives, and it is interesting to note the similarities we share in those issues as well.”

“If anything, this post blowing up to the point it did is enough for us to see where our thought process is going with having children, and what that could mean for the future of our country and the world as well. It is concerning, and should be taken to heart when we aim to change our work culture to make it more accessible for future parents!”

“It’s tough out there and getting tougher. But we have the power to change these things in our work culture! I believe that the future generation will play a vital role in this, or at least — I hope,” Substantial_Rush_675 concluded.

Readers jumped at the chance to share opinions and their own experiences, here’s what they had to say

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