New Delhi: For Bangalore based cafe owner Yukta, the constant stream of techies looking to rewind motivates her to keep the cafe running everyday. She, like most of her regulars, have moved there for the immense work opportunities Bangalore offers.” Most of my customers are IT professionals. There are a few who come here everyday, just so that they have a cosy place to unwind after a hectic day at work.” she says with pride.”They play board games here, sip coffee, or share their life experiences with me. I worked in customer support 3 years ago, and I know how hectic a corporate job can be. I started this cafe to get the peace of mind I never had” she explains.
Many millennials like her have spent years skilling and working hard to offer their families a better life. For them, fulfilling targets and expectations has become the primary purpose of life. It doesn’t matter if you’re single or married, most people don’t have time to even go home once a year.
Considering the high cost of living and a demanding work schedule, nurturing relationships has taken a backseat. For many people, their friends become their biggest support system. Financial independence has made the institution of marriage like any other product- if things don’t work, you can always get another one.
While marriage was a rite of passage for our parents, today’s generation now see it as an optional responsibility that they can easily avoid. Across the world, the average age of marriage for men and women has increased from 20 from the start of the century to almost 30 now.
An overload of professional responsibilities leaves people with little time for romantic relationships, forget children. Many who do get married choose to stay childless, as they know they can’t afford the additional costs and time needed to raise a child.
Across the West, fertility rates have been declining, with many countries seeing a shrinking population. Japan, known for its intense work culture, is a prime example, where the government is desperately trying to get young people to marry and have kids.
Everyone from janitors to CEOs are now married their work, and rest for them is a privilege they increasingly can’t afford. For many, work colleagues become their best friends, where personal growth and wants are prioritized over sacrifices for friends and family. This has created a situation where people live for themselves and their support systems are only their friends. This has resulted in shrinking populations where the elderly don’t have a reliable support system, instead relying on the state for healthcare and sustenance.
The shrinking populations, along with high immigration rates, has started an irreversible demographic change in many developed countries. Skilled labour shortages coupled with reducing local demand forces organizations to import labour, while the locals decry the presence of immigrants who change the social fabric and alter their way of life.
This is the very reason why Elon Musk wants people to have more babies. He knows that a demanding professional life leaves no time for raising children, and that the current generation’s refusal for procreation can have disastrous long term consequences.
Being the worlds richest person, Elon can afford everything he needs to raise 12 kids from different partners, just like the wealthy Arab sheikhs in the Middle East. We’ve heard about how Elon fired most of Twitter’s staff due to his uncompromising demands and how he expects a ‘hardcore’ work ethic with employees being forced to work 12 hours or longer. Some employees even said they were threatened with termination for even the slightest mistake.
How would you raise a family if you were in their place, Elon? We’re waiting for your enlightened insights.
