The case for having kids
-
0:01 - 0:02I'm an exhausted dad.
-
0:03 - 0:07Currently owned and dominated
by two mini dictators, -
0:07 - 0:12who rule my life with an iron fist
while wearing their Huggies diapers. -
0:12 - 0:13(Laughter)
-
0:13 - 0:16Now probably because I've been
drowning in small people lately, -
0:16 - 0:19I've been paying close attention
to a particular headline. -
0:19 - 0:22It seems around the world,
in developed countries, -
0:22 - 0:25people are having fewer babies.
-
0:25 - 0:27From North America to Europe
to China to Japan, -
0:27 - 0:31there's actually been
a consistent decline in birth rates. -
0:31 - 0:33In fact, over the past 50 years,
-
0:33 - 0:37the global fertility rate has halved.
-
0:38 - 0:40What the heck is going on?
-
0:40 - 0:42Now, my friends who don't want kids,
-
0:42 - 0:45all point to climate change
as a reason for never having babies. -
0:46 - 0:48And many of you are sitting there
right now, saying, -
0:48 - 0:50"Waj, there's also overpopulation,
-
0:51 - 0:53there's also high birth rates,
-
0:53 - 0:56which still exist in many African
and Middle Eastern countries, -
0:56 - 0:59there's also orphan kids
who still need parents, -
0:59 - 1:02there's also a lack of resources
to go around for everyone, -
1:02 - 1:03and oh, by the way,
-
1:03 - 1:07we have a ginormous carbon footprint
that is destroying this planet. -
1:08 - 1:09I hear you, I hear you.
-
1:09 - 1:13And yet, despite all this chaos,
-
1:13 - 1:16I still think we should have babies.
-
1:16 - 1:20I believe we can and should
fight for the earth and humanity, -
1:20 - 1:22side by side.
-
1:22 - 1:24Now, if I could take it
personal for a second, -
1:24 - 1:28I get it, I get why some of you
might be skeptical about having babies. -
1:28 - 1:31Here's a photo of my wife and me
before we had kids. -
1:32 - 1:36Young, happy, fresh.
-
1:36 - 1:37(Laughter)
-
1:37 - 1:39Here's a photo of me after having kids.
-
1:41 - 1:44A broken, defeated husk of a man.
-
1:44 - 1:45(Laughter)
-
1:45 - 1:48Here's the photo of the car
I thought I'd be driving as an adult. -
1:50 - 1:51A Porsche.
-
1:52 - 1:54Here's what I actually drive.
-
1:55 - 1:59A Honda Odyssey minivan.
-
1:59 - 2:00(Laughter)
-
2:00 - 2:01(Applause)
-
2:01 - 2:03For the minivan.
-
2:03 - 2:07Where there was once hope,
now there is convenient space, -
2:07 - 2:09and good mileage, good mileage.
-
2:09 - 2:12Now, I just want to stress
-
2:12 - 2:17that I'm completely aware
of the very dire threats -
2:17 - 2:19of global warming and climate change.
-
2:19 - 2:22I just want to acknowledge
that choosing to have babies -
2:22 - 2:26is a deeply, profoundly personal choice.
-
2:26 - 2:28And that many who want to are unable.
-
2:28 - 2:32But just for today, let's examine
the flip side of the coin. -
2:32 - 2:34At how not having enough new people
-
2:34 - 2:37is going to be a major problem
moving forward. -
2:37 - 2:39According to the World
Health Organization, -
2:39 - 2:42we need to average about
2.1 children per woman today -
2:42 - 2:46just so we have enough people
to replace the previous generation. -
2:46 - 2:50A lot of you thought overpopulation
was going to be a problem in 100 years -- -
2:50 - 2:51yeah, it might be underpopulation.
-
2:51 - 2:53So a question:
-
2:53 - 2:56what happens if that number
dips below 2.1? -
2:56 - 2:58There's going to be a domino effect.
-
2:58 - 3:01As all of us get older, and live longer,
-
3:01 - 3:04there's going to be a shrinking
younger population, -
3:04 - 3:06which is going to lead
to rising labor shortages -
3:06 - 3:08in the world's biggest economies.
-
3:08 - 3:11I'm talking about United States,
China, Japan, Germany. -
3:11 - 3:14Fewer younger working people
means less tax revenue. -
3:14 - 3:17Less tax revenue
means less money and resources -
3:17 - 3:20to go to safety net programs
that all of us are going to depend upon. -
3:20 - 3:22I'm talking about pensions
and health care. -
3:23 - 3:26It seems every generation
is indeed connected. -
3:27 - 3:29But how the heck did we get here
in the first place? -
3:29 - 3:32Well, in some cases, it was intentional.
-
3:32 - 3:35Let's take the DeLorean to simpler times.
-
3:36 - 3:38Let's stop in China.
-
3:38 - 3:43Somewhere between the death of disco
and "Empire Strikes Back" -- 1980. -
3:43 - 3:48In 1980, China decided to implement
the one-child policy, -
3:48 - 3:51largely limiting most parents
to having just one kid -
3:51 - 3:53to combat overpopulation.
-
3:53 - 3:56Check out some good old-fashioned
Chinese propaganda, lovely. -
3:56 - 3:58Now, fast-forward to 2019.
-
3:59 - 4:02Even after ending
its one-child policy in 2015, -
4:02 - 4:05China's birth rates have largely declined.
-
4:05 - 4:07In fact, the falling population in China
-
4:07 - 4:10is removing one of its biggest
drivers of growth -- people. -
4:11 - 4:12If trends continue,
-
4:12 - 4:16China's population
is actually going to peak in 2029, -
4:16 - 4:19before entering "unstoppable decline."
-
4:20 - 4:23China's government
is so freaked out right now -
4:23 - 4:25that it's actually doing new propaganda --
-
4:25 - 4:28it's begging couples
to have children for the country. -
4:28 - 4:31Let's take the DeLorean
and hop over to Japan, -
4:31 - 4:34home of my beloved Honda Odyssey minivan.
-
4:34 - 4:36(Laughter)
-
4:36 - 4:41Japan is now producing more
adult diapers than infant ones. -
4:43 - 4:48The number of kids in Japan
has fallen for the 37th straight year. -
4:48 - 4:50And unlike other countries,
-
4:50 - 4:53it has not been able to replace
its population numbers -
4:53 - 4:54through immigrant workers.
-
4:54 - 4:55There will be labor shortages
-
4:56 - 4:58and not enough money to fund
the safety-net programs. -
4:58 - 5:01Now, Japan has introduced two solutions.
-
5:01 - 5:03First, a financial incentive.
-
5:03 - 5:08Some local governments in Japan
have offered couples money to have babies, -
5:08 - 5:11with the money increasing
with each additional child being born. -
5:11 - 5:15This actually worked for one year in 2014
in this town called Ama. -
5:15 - 5:20It actually raised the birth rate
from about 1.66 kids per woman to 1.8. -
5:21 - 5:24But it did not gain traction across Japan.
-
5:24 - 5:28In 2018, a leader of Japan's
ruling party tried a new tack. -
5:28 - 5:29He told young people,
-
5:30 - 5:32"You're selfish for not having babies."
-
5:33 - 5:37Shockingly, shaming was not
a rousing aphrodisiac. -
5:38 - 5:39Surprise, I know, surprise.
-
5:39 - 5:41Who would have thought?
-
5:41 - 5:42(Laughter)
-
5:42 - 5:45Let's take the DeLorean to Europe,
-
5:45 - 5:49the continent of delicious cheeses
I love to eat but cannot pronounce. -
5:49 - 5:51The UK and much of Western Europe
-
5:51 - 5:54has a birth rate of about
1.7 kids per woman, -
5:54 - 5:59which at least is better than Hungary,
where it hovers around 1.45. -
6:00 - 6:02Now, Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orbán
-
6:02 - 6:05has proposed a new solution
to try to incentivize people to have kids. -
6:06 - 6:09He said families where the women
have four or more kids -
6:09 - 6:11will no longer pay income tax.
-
6:12 - 6:14Pretty good, right, pretty good.
-
6:14 - 6:17At least it's better
than Russia's 2007 proposal, -
6:17 - 6:19which once offered women
in a particular region -
6:19 - 6:23the opportunity of winning a fridge
if they had more kids. -
6:23 - 6:25(Laughter)
-
6:25 - 6:27Yeah, it didn't work, it didn't work.
-
6:28 - 6:29But hold on, pump the brakes.
-
6:29 - 6:34Orbán is primarily proposing this
because he wants to limit -
6:34 - 6:37the population of Muslims
and people of color. -
6:37 - 6:42He says he doesn't think Hungary's
traditions and culture and color -
6:42 - 6:46has to be "mixed with those of others."
-
6:46 - 6:47Subtle.
-
6:47 - 6:52Unfortunately for Orbán,
and much of the EU, -
6:52 - 6:55the birth rates are not
high enough right now -
6:55 - 6:57to be replenished without immigration.
-
6:58 - 7:01Among EU countries,
there is a demographic decline. -
7:02 - 7:06So it seems, in Europe, karma
is going to be brown and Muslim. -
7:06 - 7:11(Laughter) (Applause)
-
7:11 - 7:12Just saying.
-
7:12 - 7:15The question remains:
-
7:15 - 7:17Why aren't people having enough kids?
-
7:17 - 7:20Why is the birth rate declining
in these countries? -
7:21 - 7:22In some cases,
-
7:22 - 7:26it's because women
are more literate, more educated. -
7:26 - 7:28They have more economic
opportunities -- applaud. -
7:28 - 7:31All good things, all good things, yes.
-
7:31 - 7:33(Applause)
-
7:33 - 7:35In India, this has been fantastic,
-
7:35 - 7:39it has actually reduced the birth rate
but kept it above that magic 2.1 number. -
7:39 - 7:41Women also have
more access to birth control, -
7:41 - 7:44more control over
their reproductive lives, -
7:44 - 7:45all good things.
-
7:46 - 7:49But in the United States, in particular,
-
7:49 - 7:52a lot of young people
are opting out of having kids, -
7:52 - 7:54largely cite the same reason:
-
7:54 - 7:56financial concerns.
-
7:56 - 8:01Let's take the DeLorean to my motherland,
the United States of America, -
8:01 - 8:06where the birth rate
hit its historic low in 2017. -
8:06 - 8:11The United States is the most expensive
country in the world -
8:11 - 8:13to give birth.
-
8:13 - 8:15If you do not have insurance,
-
8:15 - 8:18it will cost you 32,000 dollars
to have a baby, -
8:18 - 8:20if everything goes perfectly.
-
8:21 - 8:24That's like buying a brand new
Honda Odyssey minivan, OK? -
8:24 - 8:26So, congratulations, you just had a baby,
-
8:26 - 8:29but the baby's economic productivity
is zero, and guess what? -
8:29 - 8:33The United States is the only
industrialized country in the world -
8:33 - 8:36that does not require employers
to offer paid parental leave. -
8:36 - 8:40"Mom, you just had a baby,
congratulations, that's lovely. -
8:40 - 8:43Get back to work
or you're fired, young mom!" -
8:44 - 8:47My wife and I, both working parents,
-
8:47 - 8:52pay about 3,500 dollars a month --
a month -- in Virginia for childcare. -
8:52 - 8:54If you do the math,
that's 40,000 dollars a year. -
8:54 - 8:58That's like buying a brand new,
souped-up, Honda Odyssey minivan, OK. -
8:58 - 9:01I have one, I do not need 10.
-
9:03 - 9:05So here's my bold suggestion.
-
9:06 - 9:10Let's make it easier
for people to have babies. -
9:11 - 9:15It seems in order to invest in our future,
we actually have to invest in the present -
9:15 - 9:18and help those people
who want to become parents. -
9:18 - 9:20Give them affordable health care,
-
9:20 - 9:21give them affordable childcare,
-
9:21 - 9:23give them paid parental leave.
-
9:24 - 9:28Among the EU states in 2017,
France reported the highest birth rates. -
9:28 - 9:30Why?
-
9:30 - 9:32Largely due to its pronatal policies
-
9:32 - 9:34that actually kept women in the workforce.
-
9:34 - 9:38I'm talking about subsidized daycare
and paid maternal leave. -
9:39 - 9:42China and Japan, thank God,
are finally wisening up -
9:42 - 9:43and proposing such policies.
-
9:43 - 9:44This is great.
-
9:45 - 9:48That being said, I know
some of you have listened to me -
9:48 - 9:51and you still think the best investment
we can make in the future -
9:51 - 9:52is not having babies.
-
9:53 - 9:54I respect that.
-
9:54 - 9:56I get where you're coming from.
-
9:56 - 10:01And I know many of you in this audience
want to have babies -
10:01 - 10:03but you are terrified about the future.
-
10:03 - 10:05And as a parent, I feel you.
-
10:06 - 10:08I'm scared about the future.
-
10:09 - 10:11I wrote that last line a month ago.
-
10:11 - 10:14But it really hit home
three days ago for me, -
10:14 - 10:16while I was at TED.
-
10:17 - 10:20Three days ago, my wife calls me, crying.
-
10:20 - 10:22I pick it up in my hotel room.
-
10:22 - 10:24And she said, "I'm calling
from the hospital." -
10:24 - 10:26We had to take my baby daughter Nusayba,
-
10:26 - 10:28who was named after a warrior princess,
-
10:28 - 10:31to the hospital, because she found
a bump on the stomach. -
10:31 - 10:35We got back the results,
and there were bumps all around her liver. -
10:36 - 10:40Today, this morning, we found out
that she has stage IV liver cancer. -
10:40 - 10:41(Audience gasps)
-
10:48 - 10:51It has been a challenging week.
-
10:51 - 10:53It has been a challenging week.
-
10:53 - 10:56And if I may, I just want to take a moment
-
10:56 - 10:59to acknowledge the TED staff,
everyone, top-down, -
10:59 - 11:03everyone in the back, in the green room,
some of the speakers, word has spread. -
11:03 - 11:04On behalf of my family, my wife,
-
11:04 - 11:08and my parents -- my Pakistani parents
said I had to say this -- -
11:08 - 11:10thank you for just being decent
and kind this week. -
11:10 - 11:12So thank you.
-
11:12 - 11:18(Applause)
-
11:19 - 11:23These are my beloveds,
my Ibrahim and Nusayba, my babies. -
11:24 - 11:26I talked to my wife,
-
11:26 - 11:28and despite the terrible news
and the fight ahead, -
11:28 - 11:32we both concluded that we regret nothing.
-
11:34 - 11:38Deciding to have babies
was the best decision we ever made. -
11:39 - 11:43Our babies have brought us so much joy
and they've brought the world so much joy, -
11:43 - 11:46and having kids is a risk,
but life is a risk. -
11:46 - 11:48And yes, I hope you've been
paying attention, -
11:48 - 11:51we need to invest in babies
in developed countries -
11:51 - 11:53if we want to help save
our economy and pensions. -
11:53 - 11:55But that's not the reason you have babies.
-
11:55 - 11:57That's not the main reason.
-
11:57 - 11:59Babies have always represented
-
11:59 - 12:04humanity's best, boldest,
most beautiful infinite possibilities. -
12:04 - 12:06And if we in developed countries,
-
12:06 - 12:09as a whole, opt out,
-
12:09 - 12:11and don't invest in present
and future generations, -
12:11 - 12:13then what the hell's the point?
-
12:13 - 12:17What's the point of being
on this absurd journey together? -
12:18 - 12:22And so, for those who can
and who choose to, -
12:22 - 12:26for those who can
and who choose to have kids, -
12:26 - 12:31may you pass on
this beautiful thing called life, -
12:31 - 12:34with kindness, generosity,
-
12:34 - 12:37decency and love.
-
12:39 - 12:40Thank you.
-
12:40 - 12:47(Applause)
- Title:
- The case for having kids
- Speaker:
- Wajahat Ali
- Description:
-
The global fertility rate, or the number of children per woman, has halved over the last 50 years. What will having fewer babies mean for the future of humanity? In this funny, eye-opening talk, journalist (and self-described exhausted dad) Wajahat Ali examines how the current trend could lead to unexpected problems -- and shares why he believes we need to make it easier for people to have babies. "For those who can and choose to, may you pass on this beautiful thing called life with kindness, generosity, decency and love," he says.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 13:00
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for The case for having kids | ||
Florencia Bracamonte commented on English subtitles for The case for having kids | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for The case for having kids | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for The case for having kids | ||
Brian Greene approved English subtitles for The case for having kids | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for The case for having kids | ||
Krystian Aparta accepted English subtitles for The case for having kids | ||
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for The case for having kids |
Florencia Bracamonte
There is a typo at 3:38 - 3:43: he --> the.