In “The End of Children” from The New Yorker, the article takes us on a sweeping, historical, and contemporary tour of humanity’s reproductive roller coaster—from the dire predictions of Paul Ehrlich’s 1968 bestseller, “The Population Bomb,” to today’s stark reality of plummeting fertility rates worldwide. The piece reveals how once-feared population explosions have given way to an era where many developed nations, especially South Korea, now face the unprecedented challenge of a contracting population. With vivid anecdotes, such as empty classrooms in rural Korea and the palpable urgency in urban centers where even a “Multi-Child Happiness Card” is being introduced, it illustrates a culture in flux, torn between pro-natalist government incentives and a society increasingly disenchanted with traditional parenthood. As one demographer puts it, “Ask people on the street, ‘What is the Korean total fertility rate?’ and they will know!” The article explores how economic pressures, evolving social norms, gender politics, and even geopolitical strategies have all conspired to reshape the narrative of childbearing, leaving us to wonder how much of our future will be defined by the decline—and the potential reinvention—of what it means to have children.

Key Points:

• Paul Ehrlich’s 1968 bestseller “The Population Bomb” predicted mass starvation due to population growth, a prophecy that proved premature as population growth eventually peaked.
• The aging of humanity and the decline in fertility rates, now falling below replacement levels in many nations, signals a fundamental demographic shift—from fears of overcrowding to fears of societal emptiness.
• South Korea serves as a dramatic case study, with its fertility rate plummeting to as low as 0.7, empty schools, and innovative but unsuccessful pro-natalist policies; one analyst remarked, “We are the canary in the coal mine.”
• The narrative contrasts past coercive population control measures (like China’s one-child policy) with today’s struggles, where economic pressures, expensive child care, and cultural shifts have rendered childbearing a contested and often costly choice.
• Political debates have intensified around the issue, with right-wing figures like Elon Musk warning of “the biggest danger civilization faces by far” in depopulation, while liberals debate whether declining births might be an environmental blessing or a signal of societal malaise.
• Government incentives—from Hungary’s tax exemptions for large families to Italy’s generous subsidies—have yielded only modest increases in fertility, leading some experts to speculate that reversing the trend might require “three hundred thousand dollars per child.”
• The decline in fertility is not just a policy problem; it touches on deeper cultural and personal choices, as individuals weigh the high cost (financial and emotional) of raising children in an age where self-actualization increasingly competes with traditional family values.
• The article ultimately questions whether our species is “too smart for our own good,” as technological and social innovations may have shifted the evolutionary impulse to reproduce, forcing us to reinvent what it means to be a society that values children.
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