In some countries around the world men and women are having children late in life. What are the reasons for this development? What are the effects on society and family life?
ESSAY #292 FROM OUR BOOK
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In the modern society, young people have a tendency of postponing their parenthood until late 30’s or even early 40’s. This essay shall deal with the reasons for this phenomenon and the effects this has on the families and societies.
Many factors could be responsible for this trend. The most important reason is that in today’s era of cutthroat competition, young people have to focus on their jobs and therefore have little time for their families. What is more, women of today have become more career oriented and do not wish to be held back by family responsibilities. Obviously under such circumstance, committing to a serious relationship or starting a family, which means tremendous responsibility and dedication, is not a preferable choice. The cost increase of raising a child is another barrier to late parenthood, and this is especially obvious in major cities around the world.
This change of lifestyle can have some negative effects on the society as a whole. Firstly, low birth-rates can result in an ageing population and a lack of labour force in the future. A greying society is a dependent society and is a burden on the shoulder of the government. Medical care services can be in high demand and medical cost can rise significantly.
The families too cannot escape the brunt of such a situation. The most disturbing effect is that chances of congenital anomalies rise significantly if a woman bears the first child after the age of 40. The families with mentally or physically challenged children can never be happy families. Another effect can be that the age gap between parents and children is too much and so chances of generation gap are strong.
Summing up, there are many reasons, which are responsible for people marrying late and having babies late in life and this definitely is detrimental for the societies and families. Therefore, young people should learn to give importance to both, a career and a family life.
