正在同步电影信息
Theworld'spopulationisstillgrowing,thankstorisinglongevity.Butfertilityrates-theaveragenumberofchildrenbornperwoman-arefallingnearlyeverywhere.Moreandmoreadultsaredecidingtohavefewerandfewerchildren.Worldwide,reportstheUN,thereare6millionfewerbabiesandyoungchildrentodaythantherewerein1990.By2015,accordingtoonecalculation,therewillbe83millionfewer.By2025,127millionfewer.By2050,theworld'ssupplyoftheyoungestchildrenmayhaveplungedbyaquarterofabillion,andwillamounttolessthan5percentofthehumanfamily. Thereasonsforthisbirthdeartharemany.Amongthem: Asthenumberofwomenintheworkforcehassoared,manyhavedelayedmarriageandchildbearing,ordecidedagainstthemaltogether.TheSexualRevolution,bymakingsexreadilyavailablewithoutmarriage,removedwhatformanymenhadbeenapowerfulmotivetomarry.Skyrocketingratesofdivorcehavemadewomenlesslikelytohaveasmanychildrenasingenerationspast.Yearsofindoctrinationabouttheperilsof"overpopulation"haveledmanycouplestoembracechildlessnessasavirtue. Result:adramaticandinexorableagingofsociety.Intheyearsahead,theranksoftheelderlyaregoingtoswelltounprecedentedlevels,whilethenumberofyoungpeoplecontinuestodwindle.Theworking-agepopulationwillshrink,firstinrelationtothepopulationofretirees,theninabsoluteterms. Aworldwithoutchildrenwillbeapoorerworld-grayer,lonelier,lesscreative,lessconfident.Childrenareagreatblessing,butitmaytaketheirdisappearancefortheworldtorememberwhy.