- 2 days ago
Birth rates are crashing worldwide—why is this happening, and can we reverse it?
👉 What World Leaders NEED to Know about Russia: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6d9EIByxz1AdkmIOYUlrDd0rmByq5zSN
Birth rates are declining across the world, and the consequences could reshape entire nations. Why are fewer people choosing to have children, and what does this mean for the future of society? This video dives deep into the cultural shifts, economic realities, and social pressures driving this trend. From urbanization to changing ideals of success, we explore the forces at play—and what can be done to turn things around before it’s too late.
Video Chapters:
00:00 Breaking the Cycle: How To Encourage Family Growth Again
01:04 A Successful Woman’s Story
04:15 The Shift in the Narrative
07:56 Children Deserve the Best
11:11 How to Increase Birth Rates
14:23 The World of Givers
17:37 The Financial Side of Things
20:21 The Controversial Topics
👉 JOIN ME ON THE JOURNEY Sign-up for news about the New Book here: https://elvirabary.com/elvira-barys-newsletter/
MY HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK SERIES
➡️ Russian Treasures (a historical novel about the Bolshevik Revolution and Russian Civil
👉 What World Leaders NEED to Know about Russia: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6d9EIByxz1AdkmIOYUlrDd0rmByq5zSN
Birth rates are declining across the world, and the consequences could reshape entire nations. Why are fewer people choosing to have children, and what does this mean for the future of society? This video dives deep into the cultural shifts, economic realities, and social pressures driving this trend. From urbanization to changing ideals of success, we explore the forces at play—and what can be done to turn things around before it’s too late.
Video Chapters:
00:00 Breaking the Cycle: How To Encourage Family Growth Again
01:04 A Successful Woman’s Story
04:15 The Shift in the Narrative
07:56 Children Deserve the Best
11:11 How to Increase Birth Rates
14:23 The World of Givers
17:37 The Financial Side of Things
20:21 The Controversial Topics
👉 JOIN ME ON THE JOURNEY Sign-up for news about the New Book here: https://elvirabary.com/elvira-barys-newsletter/
MY HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK SERIES
➡️ Russian Treasures (a historical novel about the Bolshevik Revolution and Russian Civil
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00To prevent the population of a country from shrinking, maintain national identity and
00:06avoid being replaced by migrants, the fertility rate needs to be 207-110 children for every 100
00:15women. Currently, in the US and Sweden, the ratio is 170 children per 100 women. In the UK and
00:25Norway, it's 160 children. In Germany and Russia, it's 150 children. And in Spain and Italy, it's 130
00:36children. In developed Asian countries, the situation is even worse. In Japan and China,
00:43it's 130 children per 100 women. And in South Korea, it's only 80. My name is Elvira Barry.
00:51I'm a writer and today we are talking about why this is happening and what can be done to reverse
00:58this trend. The main reason behind the declining birth rates is not a lack of money, housing or time.
01:09Our ancestors were much poorer than we are and they were no less tired. During the Victorian era,
01:18the average number of children per woman was approximately 5 to 6 children.
01:24Birth rates in developing countries are falling because the concept of a successful woman has
01:31changed. The world is ruled not by love, but by the desire of social approval. We want to be seen
01:39as
01:39successful and valuable to society. Throughout history, women were typically oriented themselves
01:46around the opinions of family, friends and members of their community. The story of a successful woman
01:53used to look like this. She married well, had many healthy children, managed the household well,
02:01regularly attended church, cared for her soul's salvation and was a valuable member of her community.
02:08At present, simply being a mother and a housewife is no longer considered cool. Imagine a high school
02:16reunion 10 years after graduation. Susan says, I became a doctor. Alice says, I have my own business.
02:26And Nancy says, I stay home and raise four kids. Men might say, wow, that's impressive. The woman will say,
02:34good for you. But won't see Nancy as successful. And she knows it very well. The exception to this trend
02:43is the Instagram goddesses. Women raising large families while looking fabulous and clearly living
02:50their best lives. Their days are filled with luxurious trips to exclusive resorts, shopping for stunning
02:59outfits, throwing kids' parties and receiving extravagant gifts. Their household duties are presented like
03:07features in a glossy women's magazine. Here's how I made pumpkin soup. Check out how I designed my garden.
03:16Yes, this lifestyle seems incredibly appealing to many. But it's only possible when someone else is paying the bills.
03:25Whether you are inherited wealth or caught the eye of a fabulously rich man so captivated by you that
03:33he's willing to fund all your desires, this fairytale life is built on someone else's resources.
03:41Landing a real-life prince and becoming a princess is highly coveted narrative among women. But there
03:48aren't enough princes to go around. And there's no guarantee that your prince charming won't
03:54eventually be swept away by someone younger and prettier. For most modern women living in
04:00developed countries, the path to social approval and respect is crystal clear. Education, a good job
04:08or business, money, independence, and the opportunity for constant growth and self-improvement.
04:21So why has a narrative that's existed for millennia suddenly shifted? Some argue it's all because of
04:29contraception. Or it's due to household appliances. Or it's the availability of abortion. In truth,
04:37the root cause of everything we are experiencing is urbanization. We are biologically inclined to live
04:44in small close-knit groups of relatives, both near and distant, where everyone knows and helps each
04:52other. Children were raised not by one individual woman, but by the whole village. The more children
04:59you have, the more hands to help you, and the greater the chance that one of them would survive to
05:05adulthood and support you in old age or sickness. The children of wealthy women were not raised by them
05:12along, but by an entire staff of servants. The maids who lived in rich households often didn't have
05:20children of their own, or they would send them to relatives in the village because it was impossible to
05:27both serve the family and care for their own kids. But once women began moving to cities, most found
05:35themselves in quite cramped circumstances. Housing was expensive, salaries were small, and they no longer
05:44had extended family nearby to help. For them, having many children did not lead to prosperity but rather
05:52to constant self-restraint and their inability to escape poverty. In the city, dependency on a man
05:59was perceived very differently. If you did not have a community to support you, the death of the bread
06:06winner or a break-up could lead to disaster. And your misfortune was even more profound
06:12if you had many children. The only exception to this global trend was the American baby boomers.
06:19After World War II, America developed its suburbs, built countless identical houses, and created
06:25infrastructure around them essentially creating a new type of village. But even that wasn't enough,
06:32and the trend towards increasing birth rates quickly dwindled. This is because people are driven by
06:38more than just material needs. They want social approval, and for that, they are willing to do anything.
06:46Before the advent of mass media, especially cinema and television, people could only shape their
06:54behavior based on what they saw in their immediate environment. However, countless articles, books,
07:01movies, and especially television and the internet made it possible to access stories showing how things
07:07could be different. Suddenly, it became clear that social approval and respect were no longer granted
07:14for motherhood, but for fitting into the male-dominated world. These stories became popular because they
07:22resonated with their hidden desires of millions of women, showing them that there was an alternative,
07:30that they could get an education, find a job, and become a powerful leader. You are cool when you are
07:39craved out your own place in the world, in a space your ancestors never even dared to enter. You have
07:48money,
07:49reputation, and independence. And at your high school reunion, you are the one everyone admires.
08:01Of course, having a happy family is important for a modern woman. Being loved and desired is clearly
08:08better than being alone. But when you take on the role of wife and mother, you must handle it.
08:16If you are unable to, then it's better not to take on that responsibility at all. Childlessness,
08:23while it does not add social points, is not as critical as being considered a bad parent.
08:30The social norm is clear. Your children must have everything as good as others. Their success and
08:38prosperity are a reflection of your own success and prosperity. So, when making a decision about how
08:44many children to have, a woman will consider what conditions she will be raising them in.
08:51What resources does she have? The choice is quite simple. If she lives in a two-bedroom apartment,
08:59one child will have their own room. If there are two children, they will share a room. But what if
09:07there are
09:07three children? With one child, you meet the minimum husband-child work. You give the child what you
09:15think is necessary while still having resources left for yourself. Your child has personal space,
09:22attends a good kindergarten, participates in activities, and your family goes on vacation together.
09:28I once had an acquaintance from Ukraine. Let's call her Vera. She lived in a three-bedroom apartment
09:35with six kids. Before the war, her world looked like this. One bedroom had the parents' bed and a crib
09:43for the youngest daughter. In the second room, there were bung beds for their other children, and the third
09:50room had several desks where they did their homework. There was no question of personal space.
09:58The washing machine ran almost constantly. And to cook breakfast for eight people,
10:04Vera had to use four frying pans. There was no way to afford university education for all her children.
10:11They either received state scholarships or worked at the nearest store. On top of that, there were
10:18inevitable conflicts between siblings and their inability to give each child proper attention.
10:25Someone was always sick. Someone had problems with friends or school. The idea of taking the whole
10:32family on a trip to the sea was never even brought up. Then the war came, and Vera's city was
10:39relentlessly
10:40bombed, forcing her to evacuate her children to Germany. How she settled there, I don't know. But I imagine
10:47it was much harder for her than for Ukrainian women who came with just one child. But even if a
10:54woman is
10:55lucky enough not to face the war, the situation remains the same. The mother of many children
11:01sacrifices all her resources, works tirelessly to meet the needs of her children and still can't give
11:08them what single children in other families have. The Western world faces a clear choice. Either we
11:20increase birth rates or we rely on immigration. Migration isn't always a negative thing and
11:27we'll discuss that in an upcoming video, so be sure to subscribe to this channel.
11:33Now, let me share my perspective on what could help boost birth rates.
11:39While developing my own personality typology, which I call the Sphinx Method, I conducted over
11:46a hundred in-depth interviews. What I found was that a large percentage of women and significant
11:52portion of men belong to the core personality archetype of the giver. These are the individuals whose
12:00life purpose revolves around creating a family, raising children, fostering communication and
12:07nurturing friendships and family ties. However, the world we live in is shaped by a different core
12:14archetype – the hunter. These individuals view life through the lens of achieving victories and
12:20gathering resources. Their goals are widely accepted as universal because most of our leaders are hunters
12:27and we tend to align with their values in our pursuit of social approval.
12:33Givers get caught up in the hunter's game as well, chasing things they don't really enjoy. It's often
12:40these people who burn out at work, dream of retiring early and returning to family matters. They are the
12:48ideal human material for solving the demographic crisis. The givers don't think much about themselves.
12:55Their goal and strongest desire is to make their loved ones happy. Their perfect vision of the future is a
13:02large loving family where everyone cares for one another. The greatest misfortune for a giver is
13:09loneliness and feeling unneeded. Even worse is when they are unable to help their loved ones.
13:16Modern giver women aren't having many children because they fear ending up like Vera. Overwhelmed,
13:22unable to provide everything their children need, and concerned that with a larger family,
13:29each child might feel inferior compared to those with fewer siblings. Githers don't focus on themselves.
13:36They worry about their loved ones. If you want to learn more about Githers and other core
13:42personality archetypes, visit my website alvirabari.com, where you'll find a detailed description of the
13:49Sphinx method. It helps determine your core archetype and subtype, offering clear answers to questions like
13:56Who am I? and Why am I this way?
13:59Another great way to understand who Githers are and what motivates them is by reading fiction.
14:05On Amazon, you can find my novel Russian Treasures where both the main characters and the antagonists
14:11belong to their giver archetype. It's fascinating to see how they try to solve their life's problems
14:17from different perspectives. You can find the link to the book in the description below this video.
14:28Githers will have many children if it's considered prestigious and convenient. During the Soviet
14:34era, in the aftermath of the catastrophic losses of World War II, the title of Mother Heroine was
14:41introduced. It was awarded to women who gave birth and raised 10 or more children. This title still exists
14:49today and comes with a golden medal adorned with diamonds and a substantial cash prize. This was a
14:56very progressive idea, as it showed that a woman who devoted her life to raising children still deserves
15:03the highest recognition and respect. Throughout the 20th century, thought leaders pushed the narrative
15:10that women should focus on realizing themselves as professionals. But this model doesn't work for
15:17everyone. Givers want to work and earn, but all of this is only so they can provide for their loved
15:26ones and earn their love and respect. If you look at the bestseller lists on Amazon, it's clear what these
15:34people are looking for. They want books about love or stories about how a main character saves their loved
15:42ones from danger. Why are these books so popular? Because these desires are real and they are missing in everyday
15:50life. For those looking to create meaningful stories, it's time to rethink the image of motherhood. If Western
15:59civilization wants to survive, it has no choice but to elevate the role of the mother, treating her with respect
16:07and
16:08reverence. If not, in a hundred years it may cease to exist. The same applies to Japan, China and South
16:16Korea.
16:17Changing the narrative is not expensive, especially since there's a significant portion of society that
16:24already wants this. If celebrities and important officials emphasize their deep respect for the image of
16:31motherhood, it could change a lot. But we need marketing specialists to spread the simple idea.
16:39People are different. Some women are suited for a career, others are suited for motherhood. Both are doing
16:46incredibly important work and at a class reunion, a mother of many children should be seen as a heroine
16:53who is performing a great act of self-sacrifice, giving birth to and raising children. The very children
17:02who will, in a couple of decades, pay taxes and support the pensions of today's professionals.
17:08It's also important to shift the narrative that children from large families have an advantage over
17:14only children. While they may have fewer resources, they can gain valuable skills like social interaction,
17:22resilience, negotiation and more. The mother of many should be absolutely certain that by having
17:30another child she is not depriving the others of resources. Instead, she is adding to them.
17:42There are basic needs parents want to fulfill for their children. Personal space, quality education,
17:49medical care and freedom from debt. There are also basic needs for the parents themselves, free time
17:57and the opportunity for self-actualization. If a parent is exhausted and has no energy left,
18:04nothing good will come from it. Here is the reality I observe here in California. Taking care of a baby
18:11while working is incredibly challenging. If you don't work, there's no money. And if you do work,
18:18you face the following problems. It's hard to find an affordable daycare. Good daycares are extremely
18:26expensive. Accessible childcare should be a priority for local governments. Finding an affordable yet
18:34professional nanny is also difficult. It's essential that there be a certified nanny system where parents
18:41can trust licensed caregivers. There should be the option to call a nanny on an occasional basis so that
18:49parents can take care of their own matters. Many schools don't have after-school programs. Parents need to pick
18:57up their child by 1 or 2 pm. How can this work if both parents are working? School programs often
19:06require the
19:07parents to help with homework, which can be overwhelming when parents are already exhausted from work.
19:13And if you have multiple children, one needs help with homework, the other has a costume party,
19:19and the third has a problem with their friends. Affordable housing is a must. It seems we need social
19:26programs like this. If you have many children and take good care of them, you should be provided housing,
19:32or be given the option to buy it at a favorable rate. Child benefits for their second and subsequent
19:39children are also absolutely necessary. We have statistics showing that these benefits significantly
19:46increase birth rates. For the first child, there is no need to offer financial incentives. People will
19:53have one because it's the social norm. But multiple children should be encouraged. We should always keep in
20:01mind that in an ideal situation, children should be raised by the village. That is the whole community.
20:08So, this is not about shifting the responsibility for your children onto the state. We won't have a state
20:16if we don't have young people. It's either that or nothing.
20:25Lastly, some thoughts on topics that seem controversial. Abandoned abortions does not
20:32impact birth rates. We have data from many countries and we know for certain that in the short term this
20:39may lead to a temporary spike in births. But it will then decline. Instead, we would see a surge in
20:47illegal
20:48abortions and severe harm to women's health. A ban on abortion disproportionately affects the poor.
20:55A wealthy woman who doesn't want to have a child at this moment will still get an abortion. She can
21:01fly to another country if necessary. But a poor woman will resort to dangerous methods. A ban on abortions
21:09leads to a generation of unwanted, unloved children who are prone to chronic depression,
21:15drug addiction, alcoholism, and domestic violence. These people will interact with our children and grandchildren
21:22and create a host of social problems. The rich can isolate themselves from all of this, but the poor cannot.
21:29If a woman is forced to have a child she doesn't want and cannot care for, she won't be able
21:35to have the child
21:36she desires later. The numbers will be the same, but the quality of the human material will be entirely
21:44different. I've never had an abortion, but I am a writer and I have a vivid imagination. I can easily
21:51imagine how my life would have turned out if I had become pregnant at 20. I'd be a poor single
21:59mother
21:59in a war-torn country with very uncertain prospects. I wouldn't have moved to America, learned English,
22:06or become a writer. My beautiful son, whom I had with the man I love, would never have been born.
22:14And I certainly wouldn't be sitting here sharing my thoughts with you. What's more beneficial for society?
22:22To me, the answer is obvious. Another important point. Having children outside of marriage
22:28shouldn't be seen as something negative. Sometimes a woman can't find the right partner,
22:34but she has the resources to have and raise a child. That's perfectly fine.
22:40In some societies, gay people are not allowed to adopt children. To me, that's absolute nonsense.
22:47If well-off individuals can raise a worthy member of society, they should be supported in that.
22:54A gay family is still a family. The opposite of family values is having no family at all,
23:01having no children, and not raising anyone. Again, not everyone is suited for parenthood and family life.
23:08And it's much better for society that those who are not ready for it don't have children. But then,
23:16we must wholeheartedly support those who do want to be parents.
23:22If I was able to provide value to you with this video, please consider giving a super thanks
23:28or clicking on the join button to support my channel. Thank you all and see you soon.
23:33So
23:37you