The birth rate of babies is declining, but more and more young people are keeping pets. Would they rather keep cats and dogs than babies?

The birth rate is getting lower and lower. Last year, it dropped to the lowest level since the reform and opening up, which scared many experts to scream;

Another amazing phenomenon is that recently, Amid the wave of store closures over the past few years, pet stores and pharmacies have bucked the trend and are increasing in number.

According to the "2017 China Pet Industry White Paper" released by a website, pet consumers are becoming younger and more feminine, and 75% of cat and dog owners are mainly young people born in the 1990s. .

It is not difficult to see the two phenomena. As the main force in childbearing, young people are less and less interested in having children, but more and more like keeping pets.

What are the reasons and relationships behind this?

1. The traditional concepts of "There are three ways to be unfilial, and having no descendants is the greatest" and "Having many children means blessings" has been overturned

Confucianism has been nagging for thousands of years, "There are three ways to be unfilial, and having no descendants is the greatest." It’s great”.

You don’t have to have money, but you must have a child, and this “child” specifically refers to a “boy.” When a girl grows up, she is like water being thrown away, and she cannot inherit the incense of her ancestors.

What is incense? During the Chinese New Year, there are rows of souls and bodies kneeling in the darkness.

Therefore, in a patriarchal society, "childlessness" is one of the "seven crimes". A woman who does not give birth to a son will be divorced; a man who does not have a son will be stabbed in the spine. If a man has no children, even if he is a high-ranking official and has a lot of money and wealth, he will be regarded as "unfilial" by Confucians.

In addition to having sons, one also needs to have “more sons.”

Before the rise of modern medicine, the infant mortality rate was very high. Even if you were extremely rich and arrogant, it was of no use.

The royal family’s living conditions and medical resources are top-notch. Even so, 9 of Song Renzong's 13 daughters died in infancy, and none of his three sons lived past the age of 3, causing Song Renzong to lose all face in front of his ministers.

Song Renzong took pity on the courtier Zhang Zhibai and said: "You are old and there are few children in your clan, and you are very pitiful. If you have any needs, just ask and I will help you."

< p> Zhang Zhibai's words made the emperor's heart ache: "I'm not pitiful. I have a wife and a son. You don't even have a son except the concubines in the harem. You are pitiful!"

The emperor was assassinated She was so stunned that she went back to the palace and hugged Queen Cao and cried bitterly! The emperor without a son is the biggest "unfilial son" in the world!

Until his death, Song Renzong had no sons alive, and the throne had to be passed on to his cousin's son.

Therefore, in a patriarchal society, it is necessary not only to have sons, but also to have "many children." This has an extra insurance to ensure that the family's fireworks are strong and prosperous.

With the sound of the "Revolution of 1911", the foundation of male-dominated society was shaken; the "May 4th Movement" and the "New Culture Movement" were vigorous, and the movements to overthrow the Confucian family store became higher and higher. The concepts of "having more children means you will be blessed" and "there are three types of unfilial piety, and having no offspring is the greatest" has been trampled into the ashes of the new era.

Today in history, "incense inheritance" and "more children, more blessings" are still popular in small towns, but in more developed and more tolerant large and medium-sized cities, this concept has become so weak that it can hardly be seen not see.

In view of this, today’s young people no longer bear the heavy burden of childbearing. Having a daughter or having a child is a blessing from God; having a child or not having a child is a personal choice and has no morality. Ethical condemnation.

2. The concept of raising children has advanced from "extensive" parenting to "high-quality" parenting

People who came from the 1950s and 1960s are all familiar with the concepts of the last century Family model: father, mother, and a bunch of brothers and sisters.

At that time, raising a baby was an extremely simple matter. An extra bowl of water in the rice pot and an extra pair of chopsticks on the table can feed one more child.

The adults adhere to the "extensive" parenting style. Children are beaten and beaten, but their skin is thick and solid, and it doesn't matter if they stumble. The eldest children also act as nannies, taking care of the younger siblings for their parents, so that their parents can devote their time to work or farm work;

As for the material conditions, they are extremely simple.

Each child wears a piece of clothing; a pair of shoes, the big one is worn after the small one; there are no colorful snacks and supplements, and the purpose of eating is to "not be hungry".

As for education, it is almost entirely entrusted to schools. Except for a few families who can cultivate their children's talents, most families do not have such conditions.

In summary, the cost of raising children is low and there is no comparison.

You are poor and I am poor. Your child can’t play the piano, and neither can my child. Everyone is the same, it doesn’t matter. You won’t have so many thoughts before having a baby.

Today’s young generation, more and more people choose not to have children. One of the main reasons is that the cost of raising children has soared and has exceeded their financial capabilities.

Don’t say that a house in a school district in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou costs tens of millions. Even if you have money, you may not be able to grab it. School district housing means high-quality educational resources and a bright future.

It is not too difficult for other people’s children to go to the primary school attached to Tsinghua University or the high school affiliated to Renmin University of China. After graduating from middle school, they can enter a 985 university.

Parents do not have a good school district and their children have different starting points from birth. How can they compete with others? The location of the house determines the future of the child in the belly. There is nothing more cruel than this.

As young people in the childbearing stage, they think ahead. Rather than letting their children lose at the starting line, it is better not to bring him or her into this world.

Moreover, the cost of raising children has been piling up, and the money spent on compulsory education is even more unbearable.

The slogan of "Morality, Intelligence, Physical Education, Art and Labor" has been chanted for decades, but exam-oriented education has encroached on the development of children's other abilities.

Art and sports, these talents that were not valued in the past, have also been mentioned to an unprecedented degree with the increase in social affluence.

Various talent training classes are popping up everywhere, and sports activities are carried out in great detail. However, this kind of high-quality education outside of "school" requires financial support.

"House-owning people" have already emptied six wallets. Raising another gold-eating beast requires careful planning and careful planning; "house-owning people" do not yet have a small house of their own, and the rent is Water, electricity and daily expenses already account for the majority, so why have another child to "make things worse"?

Do you know what the "new poor" is?

The new generation of young people who have graduated from college have high academic qualifications, low abilities, and their income level is almost the same as that of blue-collar workers. These people have a glamorous appearance and don't want to let go of shopping, fashion, sports, and various consumption methods. The spirit of "trying new things" will last forever.

A cup of milk tea costs thirty to forty, a pair of Nikes costs six to seven hundred, and a concert ticket costs seven to eight hundred.

The final result is that with a monthly income of 18,000 yuan, consumption exceeds income, and they live a life of eating and drinking. Not to mention, which one comes first, the accident or tomorrow?

Young people who feel insecure and have no guarantee of life are less and less interested in having children.

They are unwilling to tie their lives to their children and spend their life savings to raise a child, thus sacrificing their own lives.

Three relationships are changing too fast, and the new generation of young people are increasingly reluctant to get married, let alone have children

This is the best era, this is the most Bad times.

Economic take-off and scientific and technological progress have allowed people today to enjoy more exciting lives. Material affluence has reached an unprecedented level.

Mu Xin said: "In the past, the sun became slower, cars, horses, and mails were all slower. There was only enough time to love one person in a lifetime." Today, it seems like a joke.

An airplane can fly from one continent to another in a few hours; a high-speed train can take a person from the north to the south in a few hours; someone once became a boyfriend and girlfriend while queuing to board the plane. After traveling for a while, we broke up on the plane back home. Would you say this relationship is happy?

In the age of consumption, falling in love is like eating fast food. As long as the fast food is delicious, it is not worth it if it looks shiny on the outside but is ugly on the inside and causes indigestion.

Some young people on the Internet summed up their fear of emotional marriage this way: It is acceptable for him (her) to be cruel and cruel, but if he (she) bites me back, what will I do?

Fast food love, in the age of consumption, everything changes too fast, and there is no time to talk about love in detail.

Not to mention, the bride price and the house are two big mountains.

More young people choose not to fall in love or get married. How can they give birth to the child of love? The main force in childbirth has been waiting and watching, or has given up. It would be strange if the birth rate does not drop.

But what does it have to do with keeping pets if they don’t have children?

The relationship is too great.

4. The new generation of young people invest their emotions in pets to obtain warmth and companionship

People are social animals and need companionship and warmth. A turbulent heart also needs to be calmed, especially young people who are full of energy and energy. They are prone to loneliness and sensitivity, are afraid of being hurt, and also long for love.

If you don’t have children to support you, it’s good to have a pet.

The most beloved small animals are cats and dogs, followed by tortoises, rabbits, parrots, hamsters, fish and insects, etc., and there are all kinds of them.

Although they do not want to raise children for various reasons, they treat their cats and dogs like children.

How to embody love? The first is to be willing to spend money. How does it make sense to spend money on it? Invest in education.

Dog schools in big cities are becoming more and more popular. There are a variety of training courses to meet all your expectations for dogs: basic training, behavior modification, scene training, and home guarding are all provided. What’s even more amazing is that there is also talent training. Does it feel familiar?

In the talent courses, the dogs learn to bow, hold baskets, hold balloons, jump ropes, skateboards and other talent skills to please their owners and bring them happiness and comfort; the owners use more Invest to express your love.

Just like raising children, the "extensive style" is no longer suitable for cats and dogs. The consumption upgrade also applies to dogs and cats.

Food, clothing, housing and transportation are a complete set of material provisions. Dogs and cats also need to dress up beautifully. A beauty salon card is a must, and it costs two to three hundred yuan at a time. It is normal to pay one to two thousand yuan for a visit to a pet hospital. Recreational activities are indispensable, and sports should also be included. Toys, cat climbing frame, these are all matching.

Young owners love their pets like their own children. The reward is the constant companionship and warmth of cats and dogs. The process of urbanization and the proliferation of steel and concrete buildings have separated not only distance, but also people's hearts.

Those born in the 80s and 90s worked hard outside for a day, and when they came home and saw cats and dogs, their feeling of loneliness and wandering was cured in an instant.

In an indifferent society, there are endless incidents of fathers and sons turning against each other, and mothers and daughters turning against each other. It is not surprising to see betrayal among relatives, friends, and lovers.

Some parents scolded their children, "It's better to raise you than a dog." I really don't know whether this sentence is a derogation of people or a praise of dogs?

In random interviews on the street, when girls were asked, "Which is more important, a boyfriend or a dog?", the answer was actually, "You can find a boyfriend at any time, so the dog is more important."

Pets have surpassed the feelings between humans in the hearts of the younger generation.

There are too many true and false, but the true love of cats and dogs for their owners is moving. This surprises and touches the new generation who are lonely, sensitive and afraid of being hurt emotionally. .

Perhaps it is in such dedication and touching that the most profound feelings are formed. It is not until the moment of death that dogs and cats say "goodbye" to their owners, truly interpreting A "lifelong" relationship.

Ending:

In a sense, more young people are unwilling to get married or have children. Some are forced, some are helpless, and most are self-chosen. They choose not to reproduce themselves, but instead focus on their pet cats and dogs, and are happy with it.

It is impossible to judge whether the new generation of young people are selfish. We can only say that they combine their own abilities and make the choices that best suit them. There, we get emotional compensation.

From another perspective, when these young people give up having children, the beneficiaries are others.

Nowadays, it is normal for an ordinary primary school class to have forty or fifty students, and there are not many educational resources per student. Not having children means giving up some of your rights and giving them to others. Isn't this bad?

As for being addicted to pets, it indirectly provides more jobs for others. In 2018 alone, the consumption scale of the pet industry reached an astonishing 170.8 billion yuan, of which the younger generation made a huge contribution.

The only problem is that when you get old, you have to face the problem of pension. Make plans early while you are young and plan your retirement life so that you can be worry-free.

In the final analysis, the happiness of having children surrounded by children and grandchildren, but not the enjoyment of freedom and freedom, cannot be measured by a unified standard. Just make sure everyone is happy.

You have your drunkenness in the world, and I have my return to the bright moon.