this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2024
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[–] SharkEatingBreakfast@sopuli.xyz 178 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Young folks have been priced out of housing & healthcare, you can be fired from your job on a whim, food is astronomically expensive, the political climate is tense, your basic human rights could be rescinded at any time, the future of the planet is being murdered by shitty capitalists with 0 regard for human life....

I mean, who wouldn't want to bring a child into this world right now?

Eat shit.

[–] scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 75 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I'm hunting for a new job for the second time in less than a year, and I'm honestly a skilled professional with over 10 years of experience, with a lot of proof that I do great work. The labor market is stupid right now, just down right stupid. Full of executives searching for short term profits rather than anyone wanting to actually run a company well. That's alone is a huge reason, on top of everything else. I don't even know if I'll have stable employment, and that means I don't know if I'll have stable health insurance - so genuinely what are any actual incentives to my generation to have kids? Literally are there any beyond just "you have a kid now"

[–] wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 43 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

I'm a software engineer currently trying to find employment, and it's so bad I'm wondering if I'll just have to do something else for a while.

My last company basically fired all their US devs, and outsourced to foreign countries for cheaper.

[–] stoly@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I am a computing director. My take: software dev has been over saturated for the last 12-15 years but people keep seeing dollar signs in their eyes. My advice: learn a business skill like project management. It will allow you to work in any location.

[–] wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

I have 7 years professional experience, and I'm even getting passed over for positions listed as requiring 1-3 years. It's wild right now.

I'm thinking about just going back to school, while the market is complete shit.

[–] jas0n@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

There are always different parts of the stack to work in. I started in the backend database land. Then, moved to general application dev with a side of web. Now, I do embedded. Never stop learning ;]

[–] stoly@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

That works too. A degree is a reset button on your career. I’d suggest either specializing in something niche to make you more desirable or doing something very different so that you have more options.

[–] nickwitha_k@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

What languages/specialties, Doc?

[–] wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Backend and platform/devops. I've worked a lot in Python, building out APIs from the ground up. Lots of cloud and serverless stuff. That being said, is only the most recent fraction of my resume.

[–] nickwitha_k@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I'll keep an ear out and DM you if I hear of anything. I know that my company is currently really only hiring in APAC but, that might change in a few months.

[–] wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Hey, thanks! I appreciate it, even just the thought.

[–] nickwitha_k@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 1 month ago

Not a worry! We're all in this together.

[–] SharkEatingBreakfast@sopuli.xyz 31 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It's shit, right? I'm so sorry. I hope that stability comes to you very soon.

Reject tradition. You have no obligation to sacrifice your well-being because some old, out-of-touch fuckwads want something life-changing from you. Can't even afford groceries.

They can foster a child if they want one around so badly. Or go sit at a park. Or volunteer at the church nursery or something, ffs.

[–] scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 24 points 1 month ago

bingo. The SO and I have talked about it, and we decided if we regret it a bit later and it's too late, adoption is always a valid choice. After all, we're not bringing new life in so we don't have to feel guilty about that, but instead we would be giving a home to someone else who needs one. However, there are still many, many negatives as to why we don't want to or simply can't right now.

[–] ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

The parts of the world with the most population growth are generally also the poorest. Richer countries have fewer children, and within those countries richer people have fewer children.

I'm not saying that your concerns about your quality of life are invalid or that they aren't the reason you personally don't want children, but they don't explain this general phenomenon.

[–] demuxen@lemmy.world 30 points 1 month ago

Kids are a retirement strategy in poorer countries, they are the opposite in richer ones.