Antinatalism is the belief that humanity should eschew reproduction.

Although it seems to go against our species’

survival and future, this ideology is quickly gaining traction among the young. In combination with a myriad of
environmental and socioeconomic factors, many young adults have chosen not to have kids. Upon introspection, I find
myself agreeing with their viewpoints and believe that having children is not a worthwhile endeavor.

First and foremost, not everyone is suited to be a parent. Babies cannot consent to being born in this world, but their
happiness is totally dependent on the love and care of their parents. Loving parents can provide an excellent
environment suited for fostering a child’s abilities and grant their newborns much needed attention. However, even a
slight mistake can cause significant harms to children’s future happiness and mental health. Minor things like being too
late to picking a child up after school many times may cause a crippling fear of abandonment or lying for frivolous
reasons will lead to deep-rooted trust issues. Thus, it can be extrapolated that damages caused when more serious
parenting failure, such as domestic violence, an ugly divorce or constant manipulations, are involved will leave a
permanent scar in a child’s psyche. Furthermore, parents have to be an absolutely infallible moral paragon for their
children. There is nothing like “Do as I say, not as I do” in the realm of childrearing. As trusted and respected adults, a
parent’s behavior and attitude will be mimicked by their children, therefore any instance of malicious acts will set a bad
example. Even when a child has grown enough to discern rights from wrongs, such bad habits will lower the parent’s
reputation and made any future attempt at guidance needlessly difficult. Therefore, being a parent require unfaltering
love and care, ample spare time, and high moral integrity. Trying for parenthood without all three of these traits is a
recipe for disaster.

Additionally, the present may not be an optimal time to give birth to a child, as there remains many prevailing issues that
may threaten a child’s right to comfort and happiness. As mentioned above, no child can consent to being born,
therefore they also have no choice in where and when they were born. Thus, through no fault of their own, a newborn
may have to suffer the moment they exit the birth canals. One can hardly imagine the struggles of a baby crying for the
first time in a war-torn Gazan hospital, whose wails are drowned out by gunfire and artillery shelling. Similar cases exist
for any children of Syria, Yemen, Ukraine, Sudan and many more countries currently suffering deadly internal struggles or
invasions. Even children born in more peaceful countries may have to contend with other more systemic and institutional
challenges. Girls unluckily born in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan will not have access to education, legal self-
representation or any other rights limited to the male population. There is also the strict caste mentality of India,
obsession with academic achievement in East Asian countries, gun violence and racism in the United States, anti-
immigration stances in Europe, rampant organized crime in Central and South America and more issues. No region in the
world is without trouble for those born in a “wrong” part of the population. Furthermore, there remains existential crises
such as climate change, a global deadly pandemic, rouge artificial intelligence. Choosing to give birth while bearing in
mind that a child will have to tackle all these issues by themselves is a selfish and self-centered act.

In conclusion, the responsibility needed of a parent and the current state of the world means that having a child is highly
undesirable, as significant despair and suffering can be inflicted on a child through the thoughtless choice of a parent
who failed to judge their surroundings and their capabilities