toxic parents
In the past, the wedding night was one of the most important happy events in life.
Love, marriage and children used to be the norm and standard in people’s lives.
However, many young people are now taking another path, away from marriage and childbirth.
The phenomenon of “sexual depression” is gradually spreading around the world.
“Sexual depression” not only means a decline in marriage and fertility rates, but also reveals a deep-seated social structural problem.
It is not only about economic pressure and psychological changes, but also indicates a change in culture and values.
Cultural change: the rise of individualism
Individualism is surging like a tide in modern society, and people are taught to pursue self-realization and enjoy an independent and free life.
In this cultural context, marriage and childbearing are gradually marginalized.
Today’s young people value careers, interests and personality expressions more than traditional marriages and families.
American philosopher John Rawls once said: “Justice is the first virtue of society, and individual rights are inviolable.”
Under the influence of this value, more and more people are beginning to question the necessity of marriage, and family is more like a choice for them than a necessity.
By Dale S. Kuehne
Psychological resistance: the cumulative effect of marriage and childbirth anxiety
Modern fast-paced life and workplace uncertainty have gradually weakened people’s desire for marriage and family, and marriage and childbirth are seen as a burden.
Especially women, who not only have to compete with men in the workplace, but also have to face the responsibilities within the family.
This unwillingness to bear the pressure of childbearing is similar to the phenomenon in the “Mouse Utopia” experiment: when the living environment seems “ideal”, the biological instinct of the individual begins to fail.
John Calhoun’s experiment shows that when resources are sufficient but psychological needs are not met, individuals will eventually fall into isolation and refuse to reproduce.
Economic threshold: marriage and childbirth have become luxury goods
With soaring housing prices and high milk powder prices, marriage and childbirth seem to have become an expensive gamble.
In big cities, marriage means down payments, mortgages, betrothal gifts, and education expenses for houses. These factors make marriage and childbirth expensive, and many young people are discouraged.
In Japan, the idea of ”no marriage and no childbirth to ensure safety” is popular, and the pressure of living costs is behind it.
Many women worry about workplace discrimination and economic pressure, and choose to marry late or even stay single for life.
As the Wall Street Journal reported: “Marriage? That’s what rich people do.”
By Philip Longman
Warning of population decline
Data show that the number of newborns in China in 2023 will be only 9.02 million, which is a cliff-like drop compared with the past.
This phenomenon is not limited to China. Japan, South Korea and even many developed countries in Europe are also facing the dilemma of continued low fertility rates.
Young people seem to be collectively indifferent to the concept of marriage and family.
However, “sexual depression” is not a cold number, it is an invisible force that penetrates into all aspects of life.
Young people are increasingly accustomed to living alone. “Single freedom” has become a buzzword, and childbirth is seen as a luxury.
Marriage is no longer a necessary option in life, and the social cornerstone of family is gradually fading from people’s sight.
Aging crisis: a heavy social burden
One of the direct consequences of the sexual depression is the intensification of population aging.
As the birth rate continues to decline, the labor force in society is gradually decreasing, and the pressure on pension and medical systems is also increasing.
In countries such as China, Japan and Italy, this problem is already imminent.
In the future, young people will not only need to provide for their parents in their old age, but also face an idle social security system, which will further aggravate social inequality and instability.
Family disintegration: a crisis of social order
Marriage and family have always been regarded as the cornerstone of social stability.
However, more and more people choose not to marry or have children, which will have far-reaching consequences.
Social cohesion is weakened, the connection between people becomes more alienated, loneliness is also intensified, and the social structure may gradually fall into division and turmoil.
Solution: Rethinking marriage and fertility
Sex depression is not just a marriage and childbearing crisis, it is a profound human social crisis that reveals multiple economic, cultural and psychological contradictions.
Everyone’s choice will eventually affect the future of the entire society.
To resolve this crisis, we must start from multiple levels:
1. Reduce the cost of marriage and childbearing:
Let young people see hope instead of being overwhelmed by the pressure of life.
2. Create a more inclusive cultural atmosphere:
Break the shackles of traditional gender roles and make marriage and childbearing a free choice rather than social discipline.
3. Reshape the social and psychological support system:
Help people find a balance between individuals and families.
As the writer John Donne said: “No man is an island.”
Sex depression is not only about individual happiness, but also about the future of the entire society.
Source: medium.com
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