So, here's something that’s been on my mind lately: I’m 35, and more and more people my age are just not having kids. Instead, they’re proudly calling themselves “dog parents” or “dog mamas,” and posting pics of their fur babies with captions that read like they’ve birthed a human child. I get it – pets bring joy, and dogs, especially, can become super important parts of our lives. But there's something deeper happening, and it's making me reflect on how the world has shifted.
Now, before anyone gets all defensive, I’m not here to bash pet ownership. Heck, I know plenty of people who treat their dogs like family, and I completely respect that. But what’s bothering me is how many of these same people seem to have fully opted out of parenthood altogether. They’re cool with having dogs, but not kids. It’s like there’s been a collective shift in mindset that I can’t ignore.
Here’s the thing: we’re living in a world where it’s incredibly difficult to have kids, let alone raise a large family. This isn’t about people being selfish or “not wanting to sacrifice” — it’s about the system we live in. Have you noticed how expensive it is to even think about having a kid? Housing costs are skyrocketing, student loans are weighing people down, wages are stagnant, and don’t even get me started on healthcare. In a society like this, it's hard to see how anyone can afford to raise more than one child, let alone a big family. I have two daughters by the way, speaking from experience here.
We’re on a trajectory where economic pressures make it harder for people to start and sustain families, and it’s no coincidence that this is happening in a capitalist society. The individual is king here, right? No one is really forced to think about the collective future of society. The whole system encourages individualism, where personal freedom is prioritized over long-term communal or generational stability. So why would anyone take on the immense responsibility of raising children when the world feels like it's becoming more precarious by the day?
On top of that, there’s this hyper-individualism that has crept into every aspect of our lives. The message we get, especially from capitalist culture, is that we need to focus on our own personal happiness and success. Having kids? That’s a choice, sure, but it’s no longer seen as a societal or communal responsibility. It’s viewed as a personal burden or something that might actually stand in the way of living a “fulfilled” life.
In a world where everyone’s hustling to maintain a semblance of financial stability, emotional well-being, and career growth, the idea of adding the complexity of children into the mix often seems overwhelming. But here’s where things get tricky: the more we embrace hyper-individualism, the more we forget that the long-term survival of society relies on future generations. If we don’t reproduce enough, the economic and social systems we’ve built will eventually collapse. That’s the Malthusian path, in a nutshell.
So, how do we fix this? The easy answer, in my opinion, is socialism. Hear me out. In a truly socialist society, we wouldn’t have to worry about whether we can afford kids. Public goods would be abundant: healthcare, education, housing, food. We wouldn’t be living in a constant state of economic insecurity, and families wouldn’t have to break the bank to raise children. The burden wouldn’t fall entirely on the individual, but would be shared across the community.
The key here is that in a socialist system, the emphasis would shift from individual achievement to collective well-being. People could have children without being crushed by the weight of economic hardship. Family planning could be a real choice instead of something people feel forced to delay or abandon because of the pressures of living in a capitalist society. Imagine a world where the idea of *community* really meant something — where our future generations weren’t just an afterthought or a “maybe someday” but a responsibility that everyone shares.
The shift from having kids to focusing on being a “dog mama” or “dog parent” is more than just a quirky trend. It’s a symptom of deeper issues with our economic systems, the rise of individualism, and the pressures of modern life. If we want to reverse this trend — and ensure that future generations are still part of the plan — we need to seriously rethink the way we live. A more equitable, supportive system where people can raise children without feeling like they’re sacrificing their own futures? That’s a world worth aiming for.