A lot of modern content focuses on the downsides of kids: they’re expensive, they trap you, they destroy your freedom etc… You see this constantly in memes, shows, TikToks, and online spaces. When one narrative gets repeated nonstop, it changes how people feel even if they never had that view originally. Furthermore people are told that having children is irresponsible because of climate change, overpopulation (which isn’t actually aligned with current demographic trends), or resource scarcity. That creates guilt around the idea of having a family at all. Lastly Instead of discussing solutions to cost-of-living problems, many narratives push the idea that the future will be uniformly bleak. When the future is painted as hopeless, fewer people imagine themselves raising kids.

None of these forces act alone, but together they create an atmosphere where not having children feels like the default, even for people who might have wanted them under different conditions.