Hey looks like the world is ending.
We should probably have a kid.
It's just so damn convenient!
Working from home is such a blessing.
Just can't get over it.
So many people decided that in the middle of a global pandemic, in which our production and logistics models (Just In Time) were laid bare, was the perfect time to have a kid. Yeah, why not? Why not have a kid during a time in which draconian lockdowns become the standard and people are rioting in the streets? Why not have a kid when it's very clear that humanity has never been in a more precarious state of affairs? The unsustainability of the entire legacy economy is coming to a head? Eh, I wouldn't worry about that. Let's just carry on like it's business as usual and this is actually a blessing in disguise. Why not?
Let's face it
Most people live in a bubble where are that matters and all they know is right there in front of them. How many people actually care about global politics? Hint: it's a lot less than pretend to care (which is still low). How many people actually have the education, intuition, and drive to take a step backwards and try to parse this clusterfuck that is Earth?
Very few.
So it should be no surprise to me that so many people would decide now is a good time to lay down roots as the most dangerous storm-clouds ever perceived on the horizon are materializing. The tunnel vision is real, and yet I remain surprised that so many people continue to bury their heads in the sand. At this point the problem is with me and not them. I just need to stop being surprised and embrace the irony.
- Baby Boomers: born 1946 to 1964. ...
- Generation Jones: born 1955 to 1965. ...
- Generation X: born 1965 to 1980. ...
- Xennials: born 1977 to 1983. ...
- Millennials: born 1981 to 1996. ...
- Generation Z: born 1997 or after. ...
- Generation Alpha: born 2010 or after.
Look out Zoomers, we've looped back to the alphas, and what a fitting title for the absolutely grizzled generation that will soon come to be. I lovingly now refer to them as "bunker babies".
Zombie apocalypse babies.
Whenever I watch a show or movie about zombies or some other apocalypse, I simultaneously think of the kids being born today. Children are an extreme liability during times like this, but the ones that make it through to the other side are sure to be diehards. If you can't tell by now: I'm not super optimistic about humanity as a whole for the next decade. The roaring 20's are going to take on a whole new meaning.
What does this mean for the economy?
Well, when things get tough and survival becomes more of a top priority, many industries are sure to suffer. Who's going to care about fashion if there isn't enough food on the table? Who's going to care about what's on Netflix if they don't have a TV? Who's going to care about anything if they don't have access to potable water?
No, not portable: potable.
All this being said it's really hard to guess how the future will turn out. It's impossible to calculate how exponential advances in technology will interact with this broken unsustainable system. As with cryptocurrency, I believe that extreme volatility in all regards will become the standard in many cases. Stability is not in the cards over the next decade: that I can say with absolute certainty.
Nature vs Nurture
Why are people are the way that they are?
Is it because of their environment or genetics?
The answer is both (especially considering the revelations that environment can modify genetics).
Prime brainwashing years.
The connotation behind "brainwashing" is extremely negative, but that's not necessarily what I'm trying to imply. During the formative years of a child's development, they are far more likely to solidify permanent traits for the rest of their lives. Everyone goes through this phase in life. It's unavoidable. The body must adapt to the environment it finds itself in. People who grow up in cold weather are much more attuned to the cold and might claim it's hot outside after moving closer to the equator. Meanwhile everyone else is perfectly comfortable.
Children who grow up in extremely stressful environments often find themselves developing equally extreme coping mechanisms. It's common for children who have been under extreme duress (even if only emotional) to harness some kind of genetic "survival mode". Studies have shown that these more "animalistic" humans are extremely resistant to the cold, to the point of being able to walk in the snow barefoot or take an ice cold shower without even being uncomfortable.
When life gets hard, we see the worst come out in people. Zero sum game theory begins and everyone is in competition with one another. We couldn't even share toilet-paper when the pandemic started: truly pathetic display on that front. I view March 2020 as a great metric for measuring what we can expect if shit actually hits the fan. We already got a nice taste of how society can break down in a matter of days given a series of unfortunate events.
So yeah, I'm a bit worried that over the next ten years, if things aren't going too well in the world, the kids being born recently and going to have to deal with some really serious stuff during this decade, and that will permanently alter their personality and how they interact with the world. Let's just say I won't be expecting a whole lot of sympathy going around in the midst of potential grizzled survivors.
Fun story:
I just tried to pick some food out of a molar like an ape and a chunk of tooth just shot out of my mouth onto the ground. I think I'm done for today. Fitting, considering the topic at hand. Woof.