The Radical Cultural Shift Behind America's Declining Birth Rate

Plain English with Derek Thompson

The Ringer

News Commentary, News

4.8 • 1.8K Ratings

🗓️ 21 June 2024

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We've done several podcasts on America's declining fertility rate, and why South Korea has the lowest birthrate in the world. But we've never done an episode on the subject quite like this one. Today we go deep on the psychology of having children and not having children, and the cultural revolution behind the decline in birthrates in America and the rest of the world. The way we think about dating, marriage, kids, and family is changing radically in a very short period of time. And we are just beginning to reckon with the causes and consequences of that shift. In the new book, 'What Are Children For,' Anastasia Berg and Rachel Wiseman say a new "parenthood ambivalence" is sweeping the world. In today's show, they persuade Derek that this issue is about more than the economic trends he tends to focus on when he discusses this issue. If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at [email protected]. Host: Derek Thompson Guests: Anastasia Berg & Rachel Wiseman Producer: Devon Baroldi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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0:00.0	Greetings, it's now!
0:02.7	Call your banners because it's time to head back to Westeros for House of the Dragons, season
0:06.4	two.
0:07.4	The Ringers' Dragon Riders will soar alongside you each week with the Heron Hall size slate of
0:11.1	conversations.
0:12.4	The Dragon has three heads and on Sunday
0:14.1	nights immediately after Hot D concludes Chris Ryan Joanna Robinson and I will be
0:18.1	with you for Talk the Thrones. Then on Mondays two more shows away. Van Laith and Charles Holmes, Steve Allman and Jomia Denuron,
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0:27.0	pew pewhoo, will head to the Turni Grounds to share their reactions.
0:30.0	And of course, Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald
0:32.0	will sip the Arbor's finest vintage on the watch.
0:35.0	Then on Tuesdays, Joanna and I will head to the bowels of a pleasure den for our house of our deep dyes.
0:41.0	Then, on Thursdays Joe,
0:43.0	Joe, Neil, Miller, and Dave Gonzales will gather the ravens
0:45.5	for trial by content. In this season, full episodes of Talk to Thrones
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