This handsome young commentator with plenty of hair just blamed technology for inducing low birthrates on the basis of a panoptical effect on young people:
He’s 30 years old and childless. None of his friends have kids either. He says this phenomenon is happening worldwide and shares his theory why. pic.twitter.com/AwKJiJIRI2
— Financial Dystopia (@financedystop) February 22, 2026
The panopticon does matter, and there's likely some truth to the his analysis of the effects of mass and constant surveillance (and the attached inference about the fears young men have of getting caught in a clumsy error or perceived offfence).
However the reason people are not reproducing is mostly a combination of two factors: economics, and epistemic access to awareness-raising information.
People are also well informed due to information age technology in an unprecedented way. Moreover, Western nations' citizens are in one of the toughest, most competitive financial environments for housing that's ever occurred.
Educated, well adjusted people don't want kids to suffer. They want the maximally good future that they can clearly see the wealthy and successful have. They can see it more clearly than ever before in history.
Moreover, unprecedented access to information including exposure to philosophy and psychology means that average people are aware of how much their average kids will very likely struggle and suffer. Again: they don't want to force that upon people who have no choice. IQ matters.
Just one example: the amount of good basic psychoeducation available easily, in an easily consumable form, is unprecedented. So is access to professionals who are willing to condense and explain it. Now also: very good AI. People know what their kids face. (diagnav.site)
Unfortunately for most people, their kids face a lifetime of suffering due to mediocrity and disappointment at best, and even worse in many cases. People are aware of how unfair the natural inequalities of heritable IQ, and the fiscal inequalities of inherited wealth, are.