Pronatalism, advocated by Elon Musk, who has 11 children, is becoming popular in Silicon Valley



Birth rates in developed countries continue to decline , and the causes of this includeeconomic recession and rising housing prices . In developed countries where population decline is becoming a serious problem, one measure to stop the decline in birth rates is to 'have more children.' In Silicon Valley in the United States, pro-natalism , a ideology that encourages birth, is gaining popularity, with entrepreneur Elon Musk, who has 11 children, as its representative proponent.

Pronatalism is the latest Silicon Valley trend. What is it – and why is it disturbing?
https://theconversation.com/pronatalism-is-the-latest-silicon-valley-trend-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-disturbing-231059



A common definition of pronatalism is 'any attitude or policy that encourages childbirth, encourages reproduction, and glorifies the role of parenthood.' For pronatalists, having many children is not an individual choice but a social imperative. Pronatalism holds that high birth rates are necessary to maintain population levels, support economic growth, and protect cultural and national identity.

Pronatalism is not a new idea. For example, after World War I, the average number of children a woman gave birth to in France was only three. In contrast, the average number of children a woman gave birth to in Germany, the enemy country, was five. As a result, many groups encouraging childbirth were established in France at that time and engaged in lobbying activities. As a result, laws banning contraception and abortion were enacted in France.

In many developed countries, fertility rates are below replacement level (2.1 children per woman ). This means an aging population, fewer people in the workforce, fewer people to shoulder the economic burden of supporting the elderly, and a growing strain on national resources and social welfare systems. The most effective way to combat this is to have more children.

One of the most well-known advocates of pronatalism is Musk, a father of 11 children. He previously said on X (formerly Twitter) that 'population collapse due to declining birth rates is a greater risk to civilization than global warming.' In fact, pronatalism is said to be popular mainly in Silicon Valley in the United States.




However, demographers point out that 'there is no population collapse, not even predicted,' and the statistical data shows that. However, the rise of pronatalism led by Musk is not stopping, said Luke Mann, a research fellow in digital culture and society at the University of Queensland.

According to Mann, pronatalism has strong ties to effective altruism , a movement associated with Silicon Valley and elite schools, and longtermism , which argues that placing importance on the long-term future is a moral priority.

The appeal of pronatalism is that it offers reasonable systems that reduce the financial burden on families with multiple children, such as tax breaks, parental leave, affordable childcare services, subsidies for housing and education costs, and reduced childcare costs. These policies have already been adopted in countries such as Hungary, Sweden, and Singapore that are 'working to improve birth rates.'



The problem with pronatalism, Mann points out, is that it is closely tied to race, class, ethnicity and nationalism. For example, in the UK, the media has a history of relentlessly pleading with and threatening women to have more children for the good of the nation, but Mann argues that 'such efforts run the risk of slipping into xenophobia,' and that 'nationalism can turn into ethno-nationalism, and discussions of reproduction can slip into violent racism.'

In fact, in the Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand, Brenton Tarrant, whose manifesto repeatedly chanted 'birth rate, birth rate, birth rate,' attacked a mosque and killed several Muslims. Mann claims that this incident was the result of pronatalism.

Furthermore, Mann writes that it is 'not surprising' that many pronatalists are white supremacists , and points out that pronatalism resonates with the infamous white supremacist phrase, 'We must defend the existence of our people and the future of white children.'

In addition, he points out that pronatalists have a tendency to 'screen for disabilities and optimize intelligence.' For example, the Collins couple , known as central figures in pronatalism, don't have heating in their children's rooms, and if their 2-year-old is misbehaving, they hit him on the head to discipline him. Mann says, 'For pronatalists, innate ability trumps nurture, so this kind of parenting is probably not a problem.'

Mann also points out that pronatalism has an aspect of 'children themselves are not important,' and that 'for pronatalists, children are not individuals with hope and dignity, but merely vehicles for a political project.'

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