Tech billionaire, TIME Person of the Year, and father-of-six Elon Musk has expressed his concerns about the world's dwindling birth rate and encouraged parents to have more babies because "there are not enough people" who could sustain civilization.
Musk said in a profile on the Wall Street Journal that many "good, smart people" are choosing not to have children, which he believes should not be the case. He doesn't subscribe to the expert opinion that overpopulation will destroy the earth's resources because civilization will "crumble" if "people don't have more children."
The SpaceX and Tesla owner said he's setting a good example of what he preaches by having six children. Musk is dad to 17-year-old twins Griffin and Xavier, 15-year-old triplets Damian, Kai and Saxon, and toddler X Æ A-Xii.
The Movement to Not Have Kids
Data from the World Bank showed that the world's birth rate has declined since the 1960s. However, in a recent analysis to its investors, Morgan Stanley stated that there is a growing movement of people deciding not to have kids because of climate change, which has also impacted fertility rates.
Studies from UCLA revealed the links between extreme heat incidents across the globe and the infertility rate. One incident in China showed that fertility has declined by 20 percent due to the rising temperature. In May, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published findings showing that births in America in 2020 were down by four percent and the fertility rate of women between 15 to 44 years old was also at a record low.
The coronavirus has also contributed to the dip in the population. Apart from the deaths from the virus, more women are choosing to delay their pregnancies during a crisis. Before the pandemic, however, many women have been putting off having children because they still prefer to pursue other goals and interests.
However, studies have also shown that low birth rates will not be economically and politically sustainable because no children will grow up to continue to work in the labor force, as Musk has stated. If the labor force shuts down for lack of human resources, countries will suffer.
Musk's Stand on Aging
Musk also stated his stand against aging amid the advances of technology that could extend a human's life. The tech boss, who plans to build a robot workforce for repetitive tasks, said that "no one should live forever" because death is important for new ideas to flourish.
He clarified that he's not taking a jab at aging or aging people. However, Musk believes that those in important positions such as leading countries and businesses, should "have sufficient presence of mind and cognitive ability" when making decisions that impact thousands or billions.
Musk also believes that no one above 70 years old should be running for political office anymore. If there's a minimum age requirement, he said there should be a maximum age requirement as well.
