Pregnancy News: Ambition, Social Status Consciousness Linked to Declining Fertility

Clamoring for a higher social and ambition may change us biologically. Declining fertility is accused of lower birth rates, which means couples will have fewer children in the future. At this rate, the intense competition for higher social standing may ultimately backfire on humanity as a whole.

Social Status Is Prioritized Over Basic Needs

Investing on social status has become more a priority rather than just putting food on the table, providing shelter and getting good health care. A new study found in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B states that status competition has led to the decline of fertility rates. The researchers say that this may pose problems in the modern world as lower fertility means fewer children.

"Our model shows that as competition becomes more focused on social climbing," said study author Paul Hooper in a press release. "As opposed to just putting food on the table, people invest more in material goods and achieving social status, and that affects how many children they have." 

In the first attempt of the researchers to explain the various drops of human fertility, they looked at birth control, child mortality rates and childbirth delay as factors. However, they were unable to place any associations so they turned to the universally shared trait of consumption.

FERTILITY DECLINE: Children per woman (TFR), global average
1975: 4.5
2015: 2.5https://t.co/RdUcdRq5bj pic.twitter.com/BNbcxxYw1I

— Conrad Hackett (@conradhackett) February 27, 2016

Fewer Children Is Bad For Economy

Declining fertility and birthrates may not be so good for the economy. The Washington Post reports that fewer babies mean that there will be fewer adults that will work and pay for the retirement incomes and medical care of the older generation.

Beck Posner also explains that the fewer the children means there will be a shortage of manpower. There will be a gross lack of people that will continue scientific and medical advancements, which can result with the innovations coming to a halt.

Furthermore, younger adults are much more preferred in businesses that cater to new industries because they are generally more "adaptable." The lack of new generation adults is currently being experienced by first world countries including Japan, South Korea, Germany, Russia and China.